ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the relationship between serum neopterin levels and nasopharyngeal carcinoma and its clinical significance. Method:The serum neopterin levels were determined in 54 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC group) and 32 healthy adults (normal group) by ELISA. Result:The serum neopterin levels in NPC group were significantly higher than that of in normal group (P0.05). The serum neopterin levels in patients with no lymph node metastasis were lower than that of in lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). The serum neopterin levels decreased significantly after disappearance of tumor and its lymph node treated by radiotherapy (P<0.01). Conclusion:Cellular immunity mediated by macrophages might be involved in the pathologenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and the measurement of the serum neopterin may be a useful objective index to evaluate cellular immunological functions and curative effects.