[Significance of detection of serum sialic acid and Epstein-Barr virus VCA-IgA in diagnosis and monitoring radiotherapy effectiveness in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients].
BACKGROUND
To understand the significance of detection of serum sialic acid (SA) and Epstein-Barr virus VCA-IgA (EBV-CA-IgA) in diagnosis and monitoring radiotherapy effectiveness of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.


METHODS
Serum SA and EBV-CA-IgA were detected in 65 cases with NPC before radiotherapy and one months after radiotherapy and 21 cases one year after radiotherapy for NPC with local recurrence and/or distant metastasis. Healthy persons and patients with benign lesions of head and neck were also enrolled as control group.


RESULTS
SA and EBV-CA-IgA of NPC patients before radiotherapy were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.01). The sensitivity of combination of SA and EBV-CA-IgA (96.9%) was higher than those determined alone (P<0.05). The SA level of NPC patients after radiotherapy and without recurrence after radiotherapy was reduced significantly compared to the NPC patients before radiotherapy (P<0.01). The SA level of NPC patients with recurrence was significantly higher than that in NPC patients without recurrence (P<0.01), whereas the positive rate of EBV-CA-IgA changed little.


CONCLUSIONS
Dynamic detection of serum SA may be a valuable technique for diagnosis and monitoring radiotherapy effectiveness in NPC patients. The combined determination of the two indexes can raise the positive rate of patients with NPC.
Jiang
Li-na
LN
Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou 313000, China. dlc@hzhospital.com
Dai
Li-cheng
LC
He
Jian-fang
JF
Chen
Ying-wu
YW
Ma
Zhi-hong
ZH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000821:virology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; C041788:Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid