title: [Examination of serum hyaluronic acid level in patients with oral and maxillofacial malignancy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the level of hyaluronic acid (HA) in serum of patients with oral and maxillofacial malignancy and to investigate the correlation between the levels of serum HA and stage of the malignant lesions and treatment response.
  
  
  METHODS
  44 patients with oral and maxillofacial malignancy were analyzed and 24 healthy individuals served as controls. Venous blood was collected from the patients before treatment and the healthy individuals. One week after therapy, venous blood were collected in 24 patients once again. Serum levels of HA were measured with quantitative radioimmunoassay (RIA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before treatment, the serum HA concentration in patients with oral and maxillofacial malignancy was significantly higher than that of the controls (P < 0.05). Also, the serum HA concentration in patients with OSCC was significantly higher than that of the controls (P < 0.05). No difference was noted in serum HA concentration between patients with salivary ACC and the control group (P > 0.05). The serum HA concentration of patients in stage III and IV was significantly higher than that of patients in stage I and II (P < 0.05). Serum HA levels decreased in patients after a complete treatment, but the difference was not significant (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum levels of HA may be useful in diagnosis of OSCC and was associated with clinical stages in patients with oral and maxillofacial malignancy. However, it may not be contributory to monitoring treatment response in patients with oral and maxillofacial malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Dental Hospital, Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Ru-dong
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Shi-min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yu-qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Fang-ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fu-sheng
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D006820:Hyaluronic Acid