Abstract

Background: Carcinomas are considered to be associated with increased cellular proliferation under antigenic stimulation and inflammation. Therefore, the markers of increased cellular turnover such as adenosine deaminase and uric acid were estimated quantitatively along with markers of inflammation such as C-reactive protein in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck region.
Methods: The levels of adenosine deaminase, uric acid, and C-reactive protein were estimated in 50 patients of squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck region before starting any treatment and compared with their corresponding levels in 30 healthy age and gender matched controls. The patients were divided into four groups depending on their staging and their results were compared statistically and the coefficient of correlation was calculated using Pearson’s formula.
Results: The levels of adenosine deaminase, uric acid, and C-reactive protein were found to be significantly higher in patients of head and neck cancers as compared to the levels in controls (p <0.001). The levels were also observed to rise with staging. A positive correlation was observed between adenosine deaminase and uric acid (r = 0.743, p <0.001), adenosine deaminase and C-reactive protein (r = 0.648, p <0.001) and also between C-reactive protein and uric acid (r = 0.712, p <0.001).
Conclusions:: Thus, estimation of adenosine deaminase, uric acid, and C-reactive protein can help in making the diagnosis and assessing the severity of disease in patients of head and neck carcinoma.

DOI: Clin. Lab. 2011;57:795-798