Serum levels of angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, and their receptor tie-2 in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer during chemotherapy.

This pilot study was conducted to investigate the prognostic role and the effects of chemotherapy on serum angiogenic factors enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay consisting of Angiopoietin-1 and 2 (Ang-1, Ang-2) and their receptor Tie-2 in patients with advanced stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Concentration of Ang-2 was higher in NSCLC (n= 40) than in healthy people (n= 15), whereas Ang-1 and Tie-2 were comparable. In our opinion determination of Ang-1, Ang-2, and Tie-2 concentrations have no clinical significance in the prognosis of the survival time in lung cancer and can not be used as a predictor of response to the chemotherapy.

Serum levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in patients with lung cancer during chemotherapy.

The aim of this study was to assess serum levels of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGFBP-3) in patients with lung cancer during chemotherapy. The study included 38 patients (33 males and 5 females; mean age 59.8) diagnosed histologically with lung cancer. Twenty-five patients (65%) had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 13 patients (35%) had small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Squamous cell carcinoma was established in 30% (11 patients) of all patients with NSCLC, adenocarcinoma in 13% (5 patients), and non-small cell cancer in 36% (9 patients). The control group consisted of 10 healthy volunteers. Peripheral blood samples were taken before and after four cycles of chemotherapy. IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels were assessed by ELISA method. Serum levels of IGF-I measured before chemotherapy were significantly higher in both NSCLC and SCLC groups in comparison with controls. No significant differences were observed in serum IGF-I levels before and after four cycles of chemotherapy. The levels were still high after chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC and SCLC. Serum levels of IGFBP-3 were markedly lower in patients with NSCLC both before and after treatment compared to controls. No significant differences were found in patients with NSCLC before and after cytoreduction treatment. Prior to treatment, serum IGFBP-3 levels were significantly lower in patients with SCLC in comparison with controls. After cytoreduction treatment, the levels were decreased when compared to controls but without statistical significance. In conclusion, both before and after chemotherapy serum levels of IGF-I were significantly higher, whereas IGFBP-3 levels were lower in patients with NSCLC and SCLC compared to controls. Chemotherapy had no influence on the serum levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3. Neither a histological type of NSCLC nor clinical staging had any effect on the serum levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3.

[Evaluation of some functions of polymorphonuclear granulocytes in lung cancer patients during chemotherapy]. / Ocena niektórych funkcji granulocytów obojetnochlonnych u chorych na raka pluca leczonych lekami cytoredukcyjnymi.

Lung cancer (NSCLC and SCLC) is one of most frequent carcinoma. Lung cancer is at the top of the list of cancers causing mortality in males. Many patients are qualified to chemotherapy which causes neutropenia. The aim of this work was to evaluate the number and function of (phagocytosis, test of NBT reduction and MPO activity) of leukocytes in patients with lung cancer before chemotherapy, during leukopenia and after stimulation with granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). Patients with lung cancer have increased number of leukocytes before the treatment. After chemotherapy the number of leukocytes decreases. Treatment with G-CSF increases the number of leukocytes but it doesn't increase their ability to phagocytosis and to NBT reduction.

[Circulating VEGF and its soluble receptor sVEGFR-1 in patients with lung cancer]. / Naczyniowo-sródblonkowy czynnik wzrostu--VEGF i rozpuszczalny receptor--sVEGFR-1 w surowicy chorych na raka pluca.

Angiogenesis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. This process is caused by the imbalance between stimulating and inhibiting agents. VEGF is a key stimulator having a biologic effect via two different receptors of tyrosine kinase: VEGF-R1 and VEGF-R2. A soluble form of sVEGF-R1 is a negative regulator of VEGF activity. The serum concentrations of VEGF, sVEGF-R1 were assayed in 24 patients with NSCLC and 13 patients with SCLC and 10 healthy volunteers by means of ELISA method. The serum concentrations of VEGF were significantly higher in patients than in controls (p=0.016). The concentration of sVEGF-R1 was not significantly different in patients and controls. No statistically significant differences were established between the concentrations of VEGF, and sVEGF-R1 with regard to such clinical features, as: performance staging, clinical staging (stage III vs. stage IV) and histological pattern (NSCLC vs. SCLC). The significantly higher VEGF concentrations were reported in patients with the tumor of more than 7.5 cm in the diameter (p=0.027). Analyzing the influence of the response to treatment on the concentrations of parameters examined, a significant increase in VEGF concentration was demonstrated in the case of disease progression (p=0.034). The concentrations of sVEGF-R1 did not change after treatment. No correlation was found between parameters examined.

[Comparison of cellular composition of induced sputum, bronchial washings and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in sarcoidosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and COPD]. / Porównanie skladu komórkowego indukowanej plwociny, popluczyn oskrzelowych i plynu z plukania oskrzelowo-pecherzykowego w sarkoidozie, alergicznym zewnatrzpochodnym zapaleniu pecherzyków plucnych i przewleklej obturacyjnej chorobie pluc.

UNLABELLED: This study compares the cellular profiles of induced sputum (IS), bronchial washing (BW), and BAL fluid (BAL) in newly diagnosed sarcoidosis (BBS) and hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) patients to COPD group, and examines whether inflammatory cell counts from IS correlated with inflammatory cell counts from BW and BAL in sarcoidosis and HP patients. METHODS: We recruited 23 untreated patients with stage II pulmonary sarcoidosis, 15 untreated patients with HP and 17 COPD patients. Sputum was induced with hypertonic saline solution in all individuals. Bronchoscopy was performed on a different occasions in all patients. RESULTS: Mean lymphocyte counts in IS, BW, and BAL fluid from sarcoidosis and HP patients were significantly higher than in COPD subjects (8.9% and 13.8 vs 2.9%, p < 0.05; 11.9% and 30.5 vs 3.2%, p < 0.05; 21.5% and 56 vs 3.4%, p < 0.05, respectively). Moreover we found higher percentage of CD4+, CD3+ CD28+, CD3+ HLADRV+, and gamma delta T cells in IS, BW, and BAL fluid from both BBS and HP groups than in from COPD. Elevated CD4/CD8 ratio characterized IS, BW and BAL fluid in BBS group. Strong correlation IS/BAL and IS/BW of CD3+ CD28+, CD3+ HLADRV+, and CD4/CD8 ratio was found. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that, although the relative proportion of inflammatory cells differed in the three samples, lymphocyte counts in IS were high. This finding suggests that IS could be used as a valuable alternative method to more conventional invasive techniques in clinical assessment of interstitial lung diseases patients.

Serum cathepsin K and cystatin C concentration in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer during chemotherapy.

A pathogenic implication of cathepsin K (Cath K) and its inhibitor - cystatin C (Cyst C) occur to be of growing importance in the mechanisms of tumor invasiveness in lung cancer. This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic role and the effects of chemotherapy on serum Cath K and Cyst C (ELISA) in patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study entered 40 patients (32 men) and 15 healthy volunteers (control group). Peripheral blood samples were taken before and after four cycles of chemotherapy. The mean serum Cyst C levels were significantly higher in patients with advanced NSCLC than in controls (p=0.003). The levels of Cath K in serum of NSCLC are comparable to those in controls. No correlation was found between Cath K and Cyst C concentrations and the histological type and staging of lung cancer. Patients with T4-stage had a lower level of Cyst C, than those with T2 (p=0.033). No correlation was found between the concentrations of Cath K, Cyst C and the effect of chemotherapy. However, Cyst C level positively correlated with serum creatinine concentration (R=0.535; p=0.005) in patients who responded to chemotherapy and with patient's age (R=0.456; p=0.018) in whole group. When the cut-off values of serum Cath K and Cyst C (23.35 pmol/l, 1.29 mg/l, respectively) were used, the prognoses of high and low groups were not different. Concluding, patients with lung cancer have a higher serum concentration of Cyst C compared to healthy people. In our opinion, determination of Cath K and Cyst C concentrations has no clinical significance in the prognosis of the survival time in lung cancer.

Concentration of surfactant protein D, Clara cell protein CC-16 and IL-10 in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in patients with sarcoidosis, hypersensivity pneumonitis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The process of interstitial inflammation, often chronic, goes fluently from alveolitis through granuloma formation to irreversible fibrosis and lung remodeling. Eventually, the loss of functional alveolar units leads to chronic respiratory failure. The pneumoproteins (e.g. SP-D, CC-16) are considered to be markers of interstitial inflammation. We measured BAL concentration of SP-D, CC-16 and IL-10 in patients with sarcoidosis (27), IPF (7) and HP (9). The level of each marker was determined by ELISA specific kit. We found the highest SP-D and CC-16 BAL concentration in patients with the III stage of sarcoidosis (96,67 ng/ml and 31,78 ng/ml, respectively). The lowest SP-D concentration was observed in patients with IPF (76,49 ng/ml), and the lowest CC-16 concentration in patients with HP (21,39 ng/ml). The differences were not statistically significant. In the group of the III stage of sarcoidosis higher SP-D levels were related to higher BAL cytosis and higher percentage of BAL neutrophils, just the opposite as in the IPF and HP group. In the III stage of sarcoidosis and HP, the lower SP-D levels, the lower FEV1 and VC values. The results show, that in acute interstitial inflammation with larger parenchyma engagement (III stage of sarcoidosis) the levels of SP-D were higher then in chronic interstitial inflammation (IPF).

Serum levels of HMGB1, survivin, and VEGF in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer during chemotherapy.

Recently, several reports have suggested that HMGB1 (the high-mobility group box-1) plays a key role in tumor angiogenesis through multiple mechanisms, including up-regulation of proangiogenic factors. This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic role and the effects of chemotherapy on serum (ELISA) angiogenic factors: HMGB1, survivin and VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) in patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study entered 40 patients (31 man) and 15 healthy volunteers (control group). Peripheral blood samples were taken before and after four cycles of chemotherapy. The mean serum HMGB1 and VEGF levels were significantly higher in patients with advanced NSCLC than in controls (p=0.024, p=0.028, respectively). The levels of survivin in NSCLC patients were comparable to controls. No correlation was found between HMGB1, survivin and VEGF concentrations and the histological type and staging of lung cancer. Similarly, no correlation was revealed between the concentrations of HMGB1, survivin and VEGF and the effect of chemotherapy. However, in patients with NSCLC, HMGB1 positevely correlated with survivin (R=0.814, p=0.007) before chemotherapy, and negatively with VEGF (R=-0.841, p=0.035) after chemotherapy. When the cut-off values of serum HMGB1, survivin and VEGF (2.38 ng/ml, 81.92 pg/ml, 443.26 pg/ml, respectively) were used, the prognoses of high and low groups were not different. Concluding, patients with NSCLC have a higher serum concentration of HMGB1 and VEGF, while survivin levels are comparable to healthy individuals. In our opinion, determination of HMGB1, survivin and VEGF concentrations has no clinical significance in the prognosis of the survival time in lung cancer.