Prognostic Significance of Serum Neopterin in Patients with Esophageal Carcinoma

Increased concentrations of neopterin have been described in patients with tumors of different primary locations, but reports on neopterin in patients with carcinoma of the esophagus are still very limited. We have studied serum neopterin in 45 patients with histologically verified carcinoma of the esophagus. Serum neopterin was determined with radioimmunoassay. Neopterin concentrations above median (6.5 nmol/L) were associated with inferior prognosis in patients with early esophageal carcinoma. In multivariate analysis, tumor stage and serum neopterin were predictors of survival in patients without distant metastases. In conclusion, serum neopterin is an independent prognostic factor in patients with esophageal carcinoma.