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The presence of an oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) may be associated with increased urinary excretion of the markers of collagen degradation, hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP) and lysylpyridinoline (LP). We investigated the possibility of these markers predicting the presence of active disease. Patients from a current study on HP and LP were included as follows: Group 1a (OSCC with confirmed mandibular bony infiltration, n=12), group 1b (group 1a patients >6 months after successful treatment), group 2a (OSCC without evidence of mandibular bone infiltration, n=8), group 2b (group 2a patients >6 months after successful treatment), group 3a (recurrent OSCC, n=8), group 3b (group 3a patients >6 weeks later, symptoms unchanged) and group 4 (control group, n=74). Tissue samples from tumour tissue and adjacent healthy mucosa were additionally investigated for HP and LP concentrations (n=8). The decrease in the urinary concentrations of HP and LP was statistically significant between groups 1a and 1b (P<0.001 for HP and LP), but not between groups 2a and 2b (P=0.07 for HP and LP), while values in groups 1b and 2b were within the normal range. When comparing groups 3a and 3b, a significant increase was observed for LP (P=0.050), but not HP (P=0.208). In conclusion, successful treatment of OSCC with bony involvement may be associated with a reduction of urinary HP and LP, whereas ongoing disease may result in an increase of LP. HP and LP may both be useful markers of tumour progression in patients with OSCC.

Lysylpyridinoline (LP) and hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP) are collagen crosslink residues of which the urinary concentration reflects the level of connective-tissue turnover. HP is ubiquitous in tissue, whereas LP is specific for bone. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of an increased urinary concentration of both HP and LP in indicating infiltration of mandibular bone by an oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) or recurrence of the disease after successful therapy. We investigated the history and urine levels in 116 adult patients, who were divided into the following groups. Group 1: patients with OSCC with bone infiltration (n=17); group 2: patients with confirmed OSCC (n=12) without evidence of bone infiltration; group 3: patients with recurrence of an OSCC (n=13); group 4: patients without clinical evidence of disease (n=74). The range and upper limit of normal values (HP(max) and LP(max)) were measured from the normal controls in group 4. Levels of LP and HP were measured by HPLC and fluorescence detection. There was a significant difference in the average urinary levels of LP and HP between groups 1-4 (P<0.001). The presence of mandibular bone infiltration could be detected with a sensitivity and specificity of 100% when comparing groups 1 and 2. Presence of tumour tissue could be detected with a sensitivity of 90%. In conclusion, a normal LP concentration in patients with an OSCC strongly suggests that bone invasion by the disease has not taken place. If both urinary HP and LP are elevated, disease recurrence is highly likely.