Expression of MAGE A 1-6 mRNA in sputa of head and neck cancer patients--a preliminary report.

BACKGROUND The applicability of the melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) to the molecular diagnosis of cancer, by detecting MAGE mRNA in the sputa of head and neck cancer patients, was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with the MAGE common primers designed to detect MAGE A1-6 genes was conducted with sputa of 17 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. RESULTS Of the 17 sputa specimens from patients with squamous cell carcinoma, MAGE mRNA was detected in 13 cases, while the detection rate was 2 out of 40 in the normal control group, showing significant correlation (p<0.05) between head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and MAGE mRNA expression in sputa. CONCLUSION MAGE may be a useful tumor marker of head and neck cancer.