The investigation of hyaluronic acid and hyaluronidase-1 levels as tumour marker in larynx cancer

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the hyaluronic acid (HA) and hyaluronidase-1 (HYAL-1) levels in laryngeal cancer patients.

Study design: Prospective, controlled clinical trial.

Setting: University Medical Center.

Participants: Fifty laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients and 50 volunteers who gave saliva samples investigated prospectively between 2016 and 2017.

Methods: Hyaluronidase-1 expression was measured by RT-PCR in normal and tumour tissue samples; hyaluronic acid values of saliva and tumour tissues were measured by ELISA method.

Results: HYAL-1 expression increased 2.5-fold in tumour tissues compared to normal tissues, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001).Mean saliva HA levels were 103.93 ± 69.04 ng/mL and 177.29 ± 98.44 ng/mL in the patients and controls' saliva specimens, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.657). HA levels were higher in tumour tissue samples than saliva samples, but there was not statistically significant difference between saliva and tumour tissue HA levels.

Conclusion: HYAL-1 expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas is elevated compared to normal tissues of same patients. Targeting this gene and HA catabolism products may use treatment of larynx cancer in the future.