title: [Seric soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha in nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Tunisia. Prospective study about 45 cases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha (slL-2Ralpha) is a well-known indicator of T-cell activation noted to be increasing in nasopharyngeal cancer. The aims of this study were to evaluate the importance of the use of this marker in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our prospective study interested 45 patients (35M/10F) with a mean age of 49 years (15 to 78), presenting a nasopharyngeal carcinoma histologically confirmed and 61 healthy controls. A blood sample was collected from each patient before any treatment, as well as controls to measure sIL-2Ralpha by immunoenzymatic assay. According to the disease status after a period of follow-up ranging from three to 22 months (median 12 months), patients were divided into two groups: The remission group (n=28) represented those with favourable evolution and a second group of 15 patients with unfavourable evolution (2 death, 4 cases of persistent primary disease and 9 patients with distance metastasis). 2 patients were lost to follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  serum sIL-2Ralpha levels were significantly higher in patients vs healthy controls (p < 0.0001). The serum levels correlated with the stage T of NPC (p = 0.01). Patients having a favourable evolution have lower sIL-2Ralpha levels before treatment vs those with unfavourable evolution without statistical difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measurement of serum sIL-2Ralpha provides a good estimation of the nasopharyngeal tumor burden. The usefulness of this marker as a parameter to predict prognosis in NPC should be examined further.
authors.affiliation: Service de Biologie Clinique, Institut Salah Azaïz, Tunis.
authors.forename: Aouatef
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jmal
authors.forename: Abderraouf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghanem
authors.forename: Hamouda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boussen
authors.forename: Yosr
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gara
authors.forename: Hajer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abaza
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gara
authors.forename: Latifa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harzallah
authors.forename: Abderrahmen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ladgham
authors.forename: Fethi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guemira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit