title: Somatostatin receptors in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: Somatostatin receptors (SS-Rs) are expressed in neuroendocrine tumour tissues where they can be targetted for diagnosis and therapy. This study investigated the presence of SS-Rs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a common cancer in South-East Asia. Nasopharynx biopsy specimens were obtained from 12 NPC patients and 5 patients without tumours. Somatostatin receptor autoradiography was performed using (125)I-labelled [Tyr(3)]-octreotide and (125)I-labelled [Leu(8), DTrp(22), Tyr(25)]-somatostatin-28 as radioligands. Of the 12 NPC samples 9 showed moderate to high expression of SS-Rs. These were of the sst(2) type, based on the rank order of potency of subtype-selective analogues. The 5 non-neoplastic samples, consisting primarily of granulomatous tissue, did not express measurable amounts of SS-Rs. This study demonstrates for the first time the presence of type 2 SS-R in NPC. These receptors may play a role in the management of NPC, as is the case for other somatostatin-expressing tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Tumour Clinic, National University Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kwok Seng
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Waser
authors.forename: L K S
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Run Sheng
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Edouard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stauffer
authors.forename: Jean Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reubi
mesh_terms: D001345:Autoradiography; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin