title: Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA in peripheral blood of head and neck cancer patients and in healthy controls. A pilot study.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA (COX2) levels are higher in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients than in controls and this correlates with tumor size and outcome. These findings suggest the use of this parameter as a future tumor marker.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We analyzed the expression of COX2 mRNA in peripheral blood cells in HNC patients and in healthy controls and its relationship with outcome and progression-free survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were obtained from 41 consecutive HNC patients and 16 healthy controls and analyzed for COX2 mRNA with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and compared with beta-actin as a house-keeping gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment consisted of surgery only (4 patients), chemoradiotherapy (18), chemotherapy followed by curative surgery (4) or palliative chemotherapy (15). COX2 mRNA levels were higher in patients with unfavorable outcome (mean 6.8, median 2.06) than those with favorable outcome (mean 1.2, median 1.31) (p=0.062). Both were higher than for healthy controls (mean 0.74, median 0.72; p<0.001). In bulky tumors, the percentage of level over 6 in unfavorable outcome cases was higher than in the favorable outcome cases (p=0.005). In chemotherapy patients with level <or=1 no relapse or progression was observed (n=7), and progression-free survival was significantly better than those with level >1 (n=19) (p=0.0138).
authors.affiliation: Oncology Department of Hospital Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monzó
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carles
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palmero
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Artells
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pico
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gascon
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human