Plasma von Willebrand factor antigen levels in non-small cell lung cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
To analyze the behavior of circulating von Willebrand factor antigen (vWf:Ag) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
Pre-surgical vWf:Ag levels were measured in 64 patients with histologically diagnosed NSCLC compared to 64 patients with benign pulmonary diseases, as well as 64 age- and sex-matched controls.


RESULTS
Patients with NSCLC had mean vWf:Ag concentrations lower than either controls or benign patients (p =0.001). CEA was the only variable predictive of low vWf:Ag levels (p<0.01). Five of the 64 NSCLC patients had abnormally low vWf:Ag concentrations (<36 IU/dL). When these patients were excluded from the analysis, the vWf:Ag levels of NSCLC patients did not differ from those of controls (p=0.19).


CONCLUSIONS
The vWf antigen levels of NSCLC patients are not substantially altered. A small subset of these patients will have a depletion of circulating vWf:Ag, probably because of a paraneoplastic process associated with an advanced stage of disease.
Martini
Francesca
F
Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University La Sapienza, Viale Regina Elena 324, Rome, Italy.
Ferroni
Patrizia
P
Guadagni
Fiorella
F
Basili
Stefania
S
Spila
Antonella
A
D'Alessandro
Roberta
R
Mineo
Davide
D
Laudisi
Anastasia
A
Portarena
Ilaria
I
Mariotti
Sabrina
S
Ambrogi
Vincenzo
V
Mineo
Tommaso C
TC
Roselli
Mario
M
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D014841:von Willebrand Factor