{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nNasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) may be accompanied by systemic inflammatory changes, but routine inflammatory markers are nonspecific and have not been validated as diagnostic tests for NPC.Methods\n\nThis exploratory retrospective comparison screened 178 adults and included 72 eligible records (36 histopathologically confirmed NPC and 36 histologically confirmed benign adenoid-associated pathology); 106 records were excluded because of incomplete endoscopic or laboratory records (n = 41), hematological malignancy (n = 15), severe hepatic failure (n = 11), or a documented systemic inflammatory condition unrelated to the nasopharyngeal presentation (n = 39). CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), leukocyte count, selected biochemical variables, and an investigator-derived loco-regional clinical/endoscopic severity score were compared. Prespecified sensitivity analyses included age- and sex-adjusted rank regression, restriction to the overlapping age range (39-52 years), group-stratified correlations, and partial rank correlations adjusted for diagnostic group, age, and sex.Results\n\nThe NPC group was younger than the benign group (38.1 ± 7.6 vs. 56.1 ± 8.3 years; p < 0.001). CRP, ESR, leukocyte count, uric acid, and the loco-regional score were higher in the NPC group (all p < 0.01). The principal differences persisted in the overlapping-age subset (NPC n = 17; benign n = 16; all p < 0.001) and in age- and sex-adjusted rank analyses. Pooled correlations were attenuated or changed after stratification and covariate adjustment, indicating that part of the pooled association reflected between-group separation. Exploratory ROC AUCs were 1.000 for CRP, leukocyte count, and the loco-regional score and 0.948 for ESR; these values were derived and evaluated in the same selected cohort. In separate Firth models adjusted for age and sex, CRP, leukocyte count, and the loco-regional score remained associated with NPC, whereas ESR did not (p = 0.200).Conclusions\n\nThe study identifies marked between-group differences in this selected retrospective cohort but does not establish diagnostic biomarkers or clinical cut-offs. Independent prospective evaluation, standardized sampling, and fuller control of inflammatory and tumor-related confounding are required.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Doctoral School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania.",
    "Department of Psycho-Neuroscience and Recovery, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410073 Oradea, Romania.",
    "Department of Preclinical Disciplines, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410073 Oradea, Romania.",
    "Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410073 Oradea, Romania.",
    "Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410068 Oradea, Romania.",
    "Department of Biochemistry, \"Vasile Goldis\" Western University, B-dul Revolutiei Nr. 96, 310025 Arad, Romania.",
    "Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410068 Oradea, Romania."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Darius Radu Roman"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Carmen Delia Nistor Cseppento",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6485-7180"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Dana Carmen Zaha",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4021-4989"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Timea Claudia Ghitea",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8981-1958"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Alexia Manole",
      "orcid": "0009-0005-3410-3870"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Dana Zdremtan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Alexandru Chioreanu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Felicia Manole",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2153-1148"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7942scnrnr70d.bib",
  "cited_by": 1,
  "doi": "10.3390/diseases14100365",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13703388",
  "id": "7942scnrnr70d",
  "issns": [
    "2079-9721"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42929992",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2733|Head and Neck Cancer Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7216265942",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13703388?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13703388",
  "pmid": "42929992",
  "published": "2026-10-02",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7942scnrnr70d.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:01Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42929992",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42929992"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2733|Head and Neck Cancer Studies",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Exploratory Comparison of Routine Inflammatory Biomarkers in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Benign Adenoid-Associated Pathology.",
  "title_text": "Exploratory Comparison of Routine Inflammatory Biomarkers in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Benign Adenoid-Associated Pathology.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:22:01Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7942scnrnr70d",
  "venue": "Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)",
  "versions": []
}