Serum nitric oxide levels in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
We determined serum nitric oxide (NO) levels in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and sought correlations with TNM staging, tumor localization, and tumor grade.


METHODS
Serum samples were obtained from 36 patients (mean age 63 years; range 37 to 80 years) with head and neck SCC prior to treatment and from 20 healthy individuals (mean age 56 years; range 30 to 72 years) as controls. Tumor staging was based on the criteria of the American Joint Committee of Cancer staging system in 2002. Thirteen patients had stage I-II, and 23 patients had stage III-IV tumors and all had well- or moderately-differentiated SCC (grade 1-2). Serum NO levels were analyzed by a spectrophotometric method based on the determination of total nitrite levels in serum and compared between the patient and control groups.


RESULTS
The mean serum NO levels were 20.08+/-1.40 micromol/l and 13.57+/-0.99 micromol/l in cancer patients and controls, respectively (p=0.001). There were no correlations between NO levels and age, sex, tumor stage, localization, and histological grade.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that head and neck SCC is associated with increased serum NO levels, which may play a role in tumor growth.
Kizilay
Ahmet
A
Department of Otolaryngology, Medical Faculty of Inonü University, Malatya, Turkey. akizilay@inonu.edu.tr.
Kalcioğlu
M Tayyar
MT
Ozuğurlu
Fikret
F
Ozyurt
Hüseyin
H
Aladağ
Ibrahim
I
Ozturan
Orhan
O
Akyol
Omer
O
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009569:Nitric Oxide