Clinical significance of joint detection of CD44v6 and CD62P in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and clinical prognostic significance of adhesion molecules in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues and peripheral blood. Materials and Methods: Flow cytometry assays for the expression levels of CD44v6 and CD62P protein in peripheral blood and tissues from controls and NPC patients were performed. Clinical and pathological features were reported and analyzed, and a survival study was carried out. Results: The expression of CD44v6 and CD62P in NPC tissues and peripheral blood was higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Expression levels in peripheral blood of stage III/IV NPC patients was markedly higher than that of patients in stage I/II (p < 0.05), while it had no statistically significant difference in tissues (p > 0.05). The expression levels of CD44v6 and CD62P in the lymph gland metastasis and distant metastasis group were higher than groups without such metastasis (p < 0.05), and there was no statistical difference in NPC tissues (p > 0.05). The survival rates of NPC groups with low expression in the peripheral blood were higher than those of high-expression groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Joint detection of CD44v6 and CD62P in the peripheral blood or tissues of NPC patients has diagnostic and prognostic value as a marker of poor clinical outcome.