title: [Clinical observation of TNF-alpha content in nasopharyngeal secretion of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the changes of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in nasopharyngeal secretion of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The content of TNF-alpha in nasopharyngeal secretion was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 20 controls, 52 patients with NPC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average concentrations of TNF-alpha were (12.95 +/- 4.62) pmol/L in control group, (33.68 +/- 15.13) pmol/L in NPC group and (64.00 +/- 11.57) pmol/L in NPC with necrosis group. The content of TNF-alpha in nasopharyngeal secretion in control group was lower significantly than that of patients with NPC (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of TNF-alpha in nasopharyngeal secretion of NPC patients was higher than that of normal subjects. To detect the content of TNF-alpha in nasopharyngeal secretion is a useful test for the study and diagnosis of NPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang 524001.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D012634:Bodily Secretions / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha