title: Association of increased circulating catecholamine and glucocorticoid levels with risk of psychological problems in oral neoplasm patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Noradrenergic pathways and glucocorticoid-mediated signal pathways have been implicated in the growth and progression of oral cancer. Patients with oral neoplasms can have high psychological distress levels, but the effects of stress-related hormones on oral neoplasm growth are unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have investigated the relationships between pre-surgical measurements of psychological problems with Symptom Checklist-90-revised Inventory (SCL90-R), tumor histology, circulating blood catecholamine and glucocorticoid levels among 75 oral neoplasm patients, including 40 oral cancer patients and 35 benign oral tumor patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that most dimension scores of SCL90-R did not show a significant difference between the two groups except depression (p = 0.0201) and obsessive-compulsion (p = 0.0093), with the scores for these symptoms being higher among oral cancer group versus the benign oral tumor group. The differences of total score, average score and other monomial factor scores were not statistically significant. The mean concentrations of catecholamine and glucocorticoid in peripheral blood of the oral cancer group were higher than those in benign oral tumor group (p<0.01). We also examined whether associations observed between biobehavioral measures and circulating blood catecholamine and glucocorticoid levels extended to other compartments in the oral cancer group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that stress hormones may affect oral cancer behavior by influencing the tumor micro-environment though the circulating blood.
authors.affiliation: West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Sichuan Chengdu, China; State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Huixu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Sichuan Chengdu, China; State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of medical record management, West China Second University Hospital, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: West China school of Public health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: West China school of Public health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Cai-rong
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Sichuan Chengdu, China; State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Sichuan Chengdu, China; State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Sichuan Chengdu, China; State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Qianming
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Sichuan Chengdu, China; State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Longjiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D005938:Glucocorticoids