title: Expression of beta-2-microglobulin by nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: Serum beta-2-microglobulin (beta 2M) levels of 274 Chinese patients with different stages of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at presentation and that of 35 patients who developed distant metastases post-treatment were assayed. beta 2M level was found to increase with advancing stage of disease, with statistically significant differences among early-stage, advanced-stage, and metastatic disease. Elevated pre-treatment beta 2M levels were expressed more frequently by tumours with lower degree of histological differentiation. The sensitivity of serum beta 2M for diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, however, is low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shiu
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin