title: Elevated plasma level of visfatin/pre-b cell colony-enhancing factor  in male oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Visfatin, also known as nicotiamide phosphoribosyltransferase or pre-B cell colony enhancing factor, is a pro-inflammatory cytokine whose serum level is increased in various cancers. In this study, we investigated whether plasma visfatin levels were altered in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The relationship between plasma visfatin levels and the pretreatment hematologic profile was also explored.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma visfatin concentrations were measured through ELISA in OSCC patients and control subjects. A total of 51 patients with OSCC and 57 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched control subjects were studied. All study subjects were male.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma visfatin was found to be elevated in patients with OSCC (7.0 ± 4.5 vs. 4.8 ± 1.9 ng/ml, p = 0.002). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed visfatin as an independent association factor for OSCC, even after full adjustment of known biomarkers. Visfatin level was significantly correlated with white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count, and hematocrit (all p < 0.05). In addition, WBC count, neutrophil count, and visfatin gradually increased with stage progression, and hematocrit gradually decreased with stage progression (all p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased plasma visfatin levels were associated with OSCC, independent of risk factors, and were correlated with inflammatory biomarkers. These data suggest that visfatin may act through inflammatory reactions to play an important role in the pathogenesis of OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Surgery, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsai
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yu-Duan
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chao-Ping
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chih-Yu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li-Wen
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tsun-Mei
authors.forename: Hsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chia-Chang
authors.forename: Chung
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fu-Mei
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hsien-Chang
authors.forename: Hsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hsia-Fen
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yau-Jiunn
authors.forename: Houng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jer-Yiing
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase