title: Correlation between tumor necrosis factor-alpha and D-dimer levels in non-small cell lung cancer patients.
abstract: The present study was designed to investigate whether a correlation exists between IL-6, TNF-alpha and coagulation (Thrombin-antithrombin, TATc) or fibrinolysis (D-dimer) activation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. One hundred thirty patients with NSCLC (n=65, 53 males, mean age 65 +/- 8, adenocarcinoma n=32, squamous cancer n=33) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n=65, 51 males, mean age 67 +/- 9) were studied. As control group 65 healthy donors (51 males, mean age 61 +/- 14) were also evaluated. The results obtained showed that median D-dimer levels were higher in NSCLC patients (3.0 microg/ml) compared either to COPD patients (1.1 microg/ml, P<0.05) or controls (0.3 microg/ml, P<0.0001). Positive TNF-alpha levels (>10 pg/ml) were found in 26% of NSCLC compared to 3% of COPD (P<0.002) and 5% of controls (P<0.0005). On the other hand, positive (>8.5 pg/ml) IL-6 levels were found in 53% of NSCLC and 21% of COPD patients, compared to 5% of control subjects (P<0.001). Median TATc levels were elevated in either NSCLC (6.9 microg/l) or COPD (5.7 microg/l) patients compared to controls (1.8 microg/l, P<0.0001). Elevated D-dimer levels were significantly associated to positive TNF-alpha levels in patients without distant metastasis (F=4.3, P<0.05). Moreover, TNF-alpha levels (P<0.01) were independently related to the presence of positive D-dimer levels in patients with non-metastatic NSCLC. These results suggest that increased levels of TNF-alpha might be responsible for an activation of fibrinolysis in patients with NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, Rome 00144, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guadagni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferroni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basili
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Facciolo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carlini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crecco
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spila
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aloe
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cerasoli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Del Monte
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mariotti
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Mineo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roselli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000990:Antithrombin III; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000276:immunology*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000097:blood; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D000990:Antithrombin III; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases