Amir Bar-Shai1, Shani Shenhar-Tsarfaty2, Alon Ahimor3, Noa Ophir2, Michal Rotem3, Yifat Alcalay2, Elizabeth Fireman2. 1. Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Barzilai Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Ashkelon, Israel; Laboratory of Pulmonary Diseases, Laboratory National Service for ILD, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Electronic address: amirb@bmc.gov.il. 2. Laboratory of Pulmonary Diseases, Laboratory National Service for ILD, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 3. Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Barzilai Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Ashkelon, Israel.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and there is an urgent need for sensitive, specific, and reliable biomarkers. METHODS: The study population included 60 patients (31 with lung cancer and 29 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD]) and thirty healthy individuals comprised the control group. Measurements of neutrophil, beclin-1, VEGF, ICAM, VCAM, and TNF-alpha levels in induced sputum were analyzed as possible biomarkers for lung cancer. RESULTS: Neutrophil, beclin-1, VEGF, ICAM and TNF-alpha levels of lung cancer patients differed significantly compared to those of COPD patients and healthy controls. A novel combined-score was created which was found to increase the likelihood to belong to the cancer group by 70% (odds-ratio 1.70 CI = 1.310-2.224,p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Biomarkers of autophagy, angiogenesis and inflammation in lung-cancer patients are significantly different from controls, and combination of these markers may be an indicator for lung cancer.
BACKGROUND:Lung cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and there is an urgent need for sensitive, specific, and reliable biomarkers. METHODS: The study population included 60 patients (31 with lung cancer and 29 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD]) and thirty healthy individuals comprised the control group. Measurements of neutrophil, beclin-1, VEGF, ICAM, VCAM, and TNF-alpha levels in induced sputum were analyzed as possible biomarkers for lung cancer. RESULTS: Neutrophil, beclin-1, VEGF, ICAM and TNF-alpha levels of lung cancerpatients differed significantly compared to those of COPDpatients and healthy controls. A novel combined-score was created which was found to increase the likelihood to belong to the cancer group by 70% (odds-ratio 1.70 CI = 1.310-2.224,p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Biomarkers of autophagy, angiogenesis and inflammation in lung-cancerpatients are significantly different from controls, and combination of these markers may be an indicator for lung cancer.