Prognostic value of pretreatment CD44 mRNA in peripheral blood of patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer

Lin, Jen-Tsun; Chang, Tung-Hao; Chang, Cheng-Shong; Wang, Wen-Hong; Su, Bi-Wen; Lee, Kuan-Der; Chang, Pey-Jium

doi:10.1016/j.oraloncology.2010.02.011

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Volume 46, Issue 5 , Pages e29-e33, May 2010

Prognostic value of pretreatment CD44 mRNA in peripheral blood of patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer

Jen-Tsun Lin
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taiwan
Tung-Hao Chang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, ChangHua Christian Medical Center, ChangHua, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Radiological Technology, Yuanpei University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Cheng-Shong Chang
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, ChangHua Christian Medical Center, ChangHua, Taiwan
Wen-Hong Wang
- Department of Otorhinology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
Bi-Wen Su
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
Kuan-Der Lee
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
Pey-Jium Chang
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taiwan
- Corresponding author. Address: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, No. 3, Po-Zih West Section, Po-Zih, Chiayi 612, Taiwan. Tel./fax: +886 05 3621000.

Received 7 January 2010; received in revised form 16 February 2010; accepted 16 February 2010. published online 15 March 2010.

Summary

This study investigates the clinical significance of CD44 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the peripheral blood of patients with head and neck cancer. Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to quantify CD44 mRNA levels in the peripheral blood of patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer. All patients were enrolled between January 2006 and December 2008 and had received chemotherapy/radiotherapy for their head and neck cancers. The pretreatment CD44 mRNA levels at a cutoff point of greater than fivefold were associated with an odds ratio of 12.5 for poor prognosis (95% CI, 3.9–40; p<0.001) and could predict poor treatment response in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancers. Larger prospective studies comparing the current assay with standardized methodologies are warranted.