Background: No reliable clinical markers to diagnose early stage-disease and predict its prognosis have yet been found for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC).
Materials and methods: In the present study, the metabolomic analysis of serum and tissue samples obtained from patients with HNSCC was performed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.
Results: In serum, levels of several metabolites related to the glycolytic pathway, such as glucose, were higher in patients with HNSCC, and the levels of several amino acids were lower. In contrast to sera, the levels of many metabolites related to the glycolytic pathway appeared to be lower in tumor tissues of HNSCC than in non-tumorous tissues, and the levels of several amino acids, such as valine, thyrosine, serine and methionine, were higher.
Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that changes in metabolite patterns are useful in assessing the clinical characteristics of HNSCC, and will hopefully lead to the establishment of novel diagnostic tools.
Keywords: Metabolomics; amino acid; glycolytic pathway; head and neck cancer; serum; tissue.