title: Elevated serum beta-defensins concentrations in patients with lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Beta-defensins (HBDs) are expressed in lung epithelial cells and act as antimicrobial agents. Most lung cancers that originate from pulmonary epithelial cells may produce HBDs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured serum HBD-1 and HBD-2 levels in healthy subjects (HS), patients with lung cancer and patients with pneumonia by radioimmunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum HBD-1 levels were higher in patients with lung cancer than HS and patients with pneumonia. Serum HBD-2 levels were higher in patients with lung cancer than HS. When cut-off values for positive HBD-1 were set at mean + 2SD of HS, the sensitivity and specificity of HBD-1 for the whole group of patients with lung cancer were 76.4 and 94.0%, respectively, and the proportion of patients with HBD-1-positive lung cancer and clinical stage I was 69.2%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum HBDs levels were high in patients with lung cancer and the serum HBD-1 level could be used as an auxiliary diagnostic tool for lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Miyazaki Medical College, Kiyotake 5200, Miyazaki 889-1692, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arimura
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashitani
authors.forename: Shigehisa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yanagi
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokojima
authors.forename: Koh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mukae
authors.forename: Masamitsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakazato
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C406407:DEFB1 protein, human; C106641:DEFB4A protein, human; D023083:beta-Defensins