Serum levels of sFas and sFasL during chemotherapy of lung cancer.

UNLABELLED: THE AIM of this study was to assess the clinical usefulness of determination of soluble Fas (sFas) and soluble Fas Ligand (sFasL) during chemotherapy of lung cancer. METHODS: The study included 80 patients (69 males; 11 females; mean age 64 years; 48 with non-small cell lung cancer-NSCLC, 32 with small cell lung cancer-SCLC). The control group consisted of 15 healthy volunteers. The peripheral blood samples were taken before and after 4 cycles of chemotherapy. sFas and sFasL levels were assessed by Elisa method. RESULTS: The serum sFas and sFasL levels observed at the end of the chemotherapy were higher in all patients with lung cancer compared to healthy volunteers. The levels of sFas and sFasL were higher after chemotherapy than before therapy. The levels of sFasL were significantly higher in SCLC patients than in NSCLC ones. There were no significant differences in serum sFasL levels in relation to clinical stage of lung cancer. After chemotherapy the levels of sFas were higher in patients with metastases. There were no significant differences in serum sFasL levels in relation to response to therapy. At the end of the therapy the serum levels of sFas were higher in Partial Response group than in Progressed patients. Before chemotherapy the levels of sFas were higher in Progressive Disease group than in No Change one. The levels of sFas observed after chemotherapy were higher in Partial Response group than in No Change one. CONCLUSION: Determination of serum sFas and sFasL levels can be useful in clinical practice, but their practical significance needs further studies.

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

UNLABELLED: The AIM of this study was to assess the influence of chemotherapy on the serum levels of IGF-I and IGF-II in patients with lung cancer. METHODS: The study included 38 patients (33 males and 5 females) at mean age of 59.8, diagnosed histologically with lung cancer. Twenty five patients had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) including 11 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 5 patients with adenocarcinoma and 9 patients without an essential histological type of NSCLC. A total of 13 patients had small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The control group consisted of 10 healthy volunteers. The peripheral blood samples were taken before and after 4 cycles of chemotherapy. IGF-I and IGF-II levels were assessed by ELISA method. RESULTS: Serum levels of IGF-I and IGF-II measured before chemotherapy were significantly higher in both NSCLC and SCLC groups in comparison with controls. There were no significant differences of serum levels of both growth factors before and after 4 cycles of chemotherapy. Serum levels of IGF-I and IGF-II were still high after chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC and SCLC. Patients with SCC and adenocarcinoma had similar serum levels of IGF-I and IGF-II without statistical differences. CONCLUSION: Serum levels of IGF-I and IGF-II were significantly higher in patients with NSCLC and SCLC before chemotherapy than in controls. Chemotherapy had no influence on the serum levels of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). Serum levels of IGF-I and IGF-II did not depend on a histological type of NSCLC either.

Serum levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and pro gastrin releasing peptide (ProGRP) during chemotherapy of lung cancer.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of serum OPG and ProGRP during chemotherapy of lung cancer in relation to the histological type of the tumour, its clinical stage and the response to therapy. The levels of OPG and ProGRP were determined in 39 patients (20 NSCLC, 19 SCLC) and 10 healthy subjects. Blood samples were collected from each patient before and after chemotherapy. OPG and ProGRP levels in all the patients with lung cancer were higher than those in the controls. ProGRP were higher in SCLC group than in those NSCLC. In NSCLC group (after chemotherapy), OPG level in patients with Stage IV tumour was higher than in those with Stage IIIB (p=0.03). OPG in ED SCLC were higher than those in LD SCLC (p=0.04). In SCLC group, ProGRP were higher in LD patients than those with ED (p=0.04). Concluding, the measuring of OPG and ProGRP in lung cancer patients may be useful in clinical practice.

Serum levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in lung cancer.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the clinical usefulness of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) during chemotherapy of lung cancer in relation to the histological type of the tumor, clinical stage, response to therapy and time survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Serum levels of IL-18 and sIL-2R were determined in 73 patients (62 males; mean age 64 years; 41 with non-small cell lung cancer-NSCLC, 32 with small cell lung cancer-SCLC); 12 healthy subjects served as controls. To determine IL-18 serum concentrations (Elisa), venous blood samples were collected from each patient before and after chemotherapy. RESULTS: The mean serum IL-18 level in all patients with lung cancer was significantly higher compared with healthy volunteers (p = 0.0001; NSCLC vs control p = 0.0001; SCLC vs control p = 0.004). In NSCLC group with stage IV the mean IL-18 level was significantly higher than those with stage IIIB (p = 0.04). Regarding tumor stage and response to therapy, no significant differences in IL-18 were observed. Using cut-off serum IL-18 concentration of 319.6 pg/ml, the prognoses of the two groups were different, but it was not statistically significant. The serum levels of sIL-2R in NSCLC patients were significantly higher than in controls (p = 0.018). There were no significant differences in serum sIL-2R levels in relation to clinical stage of lung cancer and response to therapy. The cut-off value between high and low serum sIL-2R concentration was defined as 582.27 U/ml. The difference in survival rate between the high and low sIL-2R groups was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Serum IL-18 and sIL-2R levels can be useful in clinical practice, but their practical significance needs further studies.

Proliferating activity, DNA ploidy changes of lung cancer cells before and after chemotherapy.

To assess proliferating activity, DNA ploidy changes of lung cancer cells before and after chemotherapy, we performed a flow cytometry analysis (FC) using fresh bronchoscopy specimens from 38 patients with lung cancer. Among 33 males and 5 females, squamous cell carcinoma (NSLC) was recognized in 12 males, 15 males had small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and 6 males had lung cancer with no histological type (LC) defined. Three women had SCLC, 1 had NSCLC and one had LC. Control consisted of 11 COPD patients. The percentage of diploid cells was significantly lower and cells with hypoploid cells were significantly higher in study group before treatment. High percentage of G2M cells characterised NSCLC and LC groups, whether high number of S phase cells characterised NSCLC and SCLC group before treatment. The treatment lowered percentage of G2M cells in NSCLC and CA group, whether diploid, hypoploid and S phase cells did not differ than those from before treatment.

[Bactericidal properties of neutrophils from peripheral blood (PMN)of patients with Lyme borreliosis]. / Bakteriobójcze wlasciwosci granulocytów obojetnochlonnych (PMN) krwi obwodowej u chorych z borelioza z Lyme.

In recent years in Poland, the interest has increased in studies about tick borne diseases, mainly Lyme borreliosis. Immune response and genotype of pathogen play an important role in the course of this disease. Phagocytic cells, especially PMN are dominant in defence mechanisms against bacterial infections. The main feature of PMN is their ability to destroy pathogenic microorganisms by phagocytosis. The aim of this study was to estimate the phagocytic activity of PMN connected with intracellular respiratory burst in patients with Lyme borreliosis. The PMN activity tests completed were: phagocytosis, spontaneous and reduced of nitrotetralizate blue test (NBT). Decreased phagocytic activity and oxygen metabolism of PMN from patients with borreliosis in comparison with values of controls were found. Normalization of these parameters after treatment was observed. Changed phagocytic activity connected with intracellular oxygen metabolism during the course of therapy was the main observation. Depression of phagocytic activity of PMN connected with oxygen metabolism can influence defence reactions in patients with Lyme borreliosis. It is suggested that changes observed are acquired and associated with Borrelia burgdorferi presence.

[Assessment of selected parameters of non-specific cellular response in patients with tick borne encephalitis (TBE)]. / Ocena wybranych parametrów odpornosci komórkowej nieswoistej u chorych z kleszczowym zapaleniem mózgu (KZM).

The aim of this study was the assessment of certain PMN functions involving migration, chemotaxis, phagocytic activity and intracellular oxygen-dependent killing in patients with TBE. The examination involved 47 persons treated in the Department of Infectious and Neuroinfectious Diseases Medical Academy in Bialystok. Two examinations were done: before and just after treatment. Control group contained 29 healthy persons. Migration and chemotaxis were assessed by agarose method of Nelson and al. and Glaser and al. Phagocytic activity was examined by microscopic method and intracellular oxygen-dependent killing by reduction test of NBT by Parks method. Analysis of results showed a decrease of all examined parameters both before and after treatment. It indicates a depression of non-specific cellular response in patients with Lyme meningoencephalitis.

[Evaluation of FcR and CR receptor expression in granulocytes and immune complex level in patients with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)]. / Ocena ekspresji receptorów FcR i CR granulocytów obojetnochlonnych i poziomu krazacych kompleksów immunologicznych u chorych na kleszczowe zapalenie mózgu.

The aim of this study was to estimate expression of FcR and CR membrane receptors of PMN and circulating immune complexes level in serum from infected patients before and after treatment. Before treatment we observed significant decrease of PMN percentage with FcR and CR receptors in comparison to control. After treatment there was increase of PMN percentage with receptors in comparison to values before treatment but it did not reach values of controls. Immune complexes level before treatment was significant higher than controls before treatment and it decreased after treatment but did not reach control level. Depression of phagocytic activity of PMN may be one of the main reasons for spreading viral infection.

[Changes in granulocytic receptors for FcR IgG and CR with circulating immune complexes in patients with lyme borreliosis]. / Zachowanie sie receptorów granulocytów FcR IgG i CR oraz krazacych kompleksów immunologicznych u chorych z borelioza z Lyme.

This study aimed to estimate some PMN functions, involving phagocytic activity in patients with Lyme borreliosis. Decreased percentage PMN with FcR and CR receptors was observed. Increased immune complexes levels in the serum of patients before, and their normalization after treatment were found. These results indicate a depression of non-specific cellular response, which can influence the general immune system in patients with Lyme borreliosis.