title: Soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL2R) in monitoring advanced lung cancer during chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the usefulness of measuring sIL2R for diagnostic and prognostic purposes and for monitoring disease during a 6-month period of chemotherapy, and to investigate the clinical significance of sIL2R serum concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The serum concentration of sIL2R, TPA and lymphocyte subsets CD4, CD8, CD25, CD16 were measured at diagnosis and then 1 and 6 months after the start of chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 39 patients (three females, 36 males; mean age 61.6 years) with lung cancer (LC), treated with chemotherapy and 22 control subjects (six females, 16 males; mean age 50.1 years) with non-neoplastic lung diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in sIL2R serum concentrations were observed at diagnosis between the control and LC group or when comparing the different histotypes, disease stages (IIIa-b vs IV) and survival (survival < or = 12 vs > 12 months). On comparing the sequential variations of the examined parameters a significant increase in sIL2R (P < 0.007) after 1 and 6 months versus basal value was observed only in patients surviving less than 12 months and in those who did not respond to chemotherapy. Moreover a negative correlation was observed between sIL2R serum concentrations and CD25+ and CD16+ lymphocyte subsets. Evaluation of survival curves of patients with basal sIL2R > or < or = 700 U/ml showed a slightly lower survival rate in the former group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results, confirming the poor utility of sIL2R in the diagnostic phase of the disease, show its usefulness in prognostic evaluation and in the clinical surveillance of patients with advanced lung cancer submitted to polychemotherapy. In this case any variations in sIL2R serum levels are likely to relate to the spread of the neoplasia rather than to the host immune response.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Pavia, Italy. gbrunetti@fsm.it
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Brunetti
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Bossi
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Baiardi
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Jedrychowska
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Pozzi
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Bacchella
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Bernardo
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000097:blood; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen