title: The clinicopathological significance of preoperative serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor concentrations in operable non-small-cell lung cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) concentrations have been found to be elevated in cancer patients. However, the importance of this finding in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been previously established.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations were determined in 65 consecutive patients with operable NSCLC. The correlation of preoperative serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations with various clinicopathological features of this cancer was evaluated to clarify the clinical significance of this parameter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations were not significantly higher in operable NSCLC patients than in normal controls (P = .1180), serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations were significantly higher in patients with stage IIIB or IV disease than in normal controls (P = .0001). The presence of intrapulmonary metastasis was the only clinicopathological feature that was significantly correlated to serum-soluble IL-2R concentration (P = .0004). The sensitivity of serum-soluble IL-2R concentration in identifying the presence of intrapulmonary metastasis was 87.5%; specificity was 75%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated preoperative serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations in patients with operable NSCLC reflect the occurrence of intrapulmonary metastasis. Preoperative examination of serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations may be valuable in the detection of the intrapulmonary metastasis preoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, National Sanatorium Nishigunma Hospital, Shibukawa, Gunma, Japan. kawasimao@nngh.hosp.go.jp
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamiyoshihara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morishita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2