Clinical significance of measuring levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and soluble interleukin-2 receptor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Conclusion: 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. Objectives: The study examined whether changes in TNF-alpha and sIL-2R in NPC can be used to predict tumor progression and prognosis. Patients and 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.