title: Simple cytokeratins in the serum of patients with lung cancer: relationship to cell death.
abstract: An important role in differentiation and proliferation has been demonstrated for the 20 cytokeratin (CK) polypeptides. The serum of 24 patients with biopsy-proven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a similar number of controls was examined for evidence of CK8 and CK18. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), all the control sera were negative, but 9 of the 24 patients were positive (mean 2.62 ng/ml; range 1.4-5.8; P = 0.0036). Western blotting confirmed the results of the ELISA in all cases, and indicated full size CK polypeptides. Advanced stage disease patients were more likely to be seropositive (P = 0.00024). Biopsy specimens showed CK8 expression in all 24 cases by immunochemistry and CK18 in 22 cases. This is the first study to demonstrate that a subgroup of NSCLC patients have intact CK8 and CK18 peptides in their serum, and their detection may correlate with advanced disease.
authors.affiliation: J K Douglas Laboratories, Clatterbridge Cancer Research Trust, Clatterbridge Hospital, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside, U.K.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pendleton
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Occleston
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Walshaw
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Littler
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Jack
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Myskow
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007633:Keratins / Q000097:blood*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D007633:Keratins