title: Clinical significance of measuring levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and soluble interleukin-2 receptor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and soluble interleukin-2 (sIL-2R) levels appear to be closely related to tumor progression and prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Further investigation is suggested.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study examined whether changes in TNF-alpha and sIL-2R in NPC can be used to predict tumor progression and prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out in 58 patients with NPC newly diagnosed from December 2003 to December 2006 at a single institution and 60 control subjects of comparable age. Blood levels of TNF-alpha and sIL-2R were monitored before, during, and 3 months and 1 year after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differences in TNF-alpha level between patients with NPC in all four stages and healthy controls and in sIL-2R level between patients with advanced stage NPC and healthy controls were significant (p <0.05). Furthermore, 1 year after completing radiotherapy, levels of TNF-alpha and sIL-2R in patients with recurrent tumors were significantly different from those in patients without recurrence and healthy control subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Hsuan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Moon-Sing
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hon-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yu-Chieh
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Hsu-Chueh
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Juen-Haur
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Ching-Chih
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shih-Kai
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha