P53 auto-antibodies in non-small cell lung cancer patients can predict increased life expectancy after radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: In this study we investigated whether the presence of p53 antibodies in sera before of during/after radiation therapy can predict increased survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. PATIENTS AND MATERIALS: Sera from 67 patients with a histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of nonsmall cell lung cancer have been investigated using sandwich ELISA (Dianova, Hamburg, Germany). Sera was collected before or during/after radiation therapy. RESULTS: Antibodies were detected in 18 (27%) patients. 46/67 (69%) of the sera had been taken before start of radiation therapy and the presence of p53 antibodies was a statistically significantly good prognostic factor in terms of increased survival (p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: p53 antibodies in sera, before the start of radiation therapy, can predict increased survival after radiation treatment in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in sera from non-small cell lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The formation of new microvessels from the existing vascular bed is known as angiogenesis and is normally under the tight regulatory control of angiogenic factors. This control is lost in malignant tumours. Previous studies have correlated increased microvessel density with poor prognosis in patients with primary lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our group measured levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in sera from 68 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and compared elevated levels of VEGF and bFGF with clinical outcome. Serum basic FGF and VEGF were measured using commercially available enzyme- linked immunosorbent assays (R & D Systems Inc., Minneapolis, MN USA). RESULTS: In 26/68 (38%) patients we found that elevated circulating levels of bFGF and in 27/68 (39%) serum samples levels of VEGF were elevated. Elevated bFGF values in sera was a statistically significant good prognostic factor, p- value = 0.048, when adjusted to stage and there was a trend in that patients with elevated levels of bFGF had a higher fraction of adenocarcinomas compared with squamous epithelial carcinomas (chi 2 = 2.0). No significant correlations could be demonstrated when elevated levels of VEGF in serum was present. Elevated levels of both VEGF and bFGF was present in 45% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: We found that elevated levels of bFGF is a good prognostic factor when measured in sera from NSCLC patients. As this result disagrees with earlier studies on other malignancies the results from our study needs to be further investigated in a prospective study.