[Evaluation of IL-6 level in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)].
OBJECTIVE
To study the relationship between the interleukin-6(IL-6) level in serum and broncheoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) and non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).


METHODS
The concentration of IL-6 in serum or BALF of 62 NSCLC patients, 36 patients of pulmonary inflammatory diseases (PID) and 25 normal controls were measured by ELISA.


RESULTS
(1)The concentration of IL-6 in BALF of NSCLC patients was significantly higher than that of PID patients and normal controls (P<0.01). The concentration of IL-6 in sera of NSCLC patients was higher than that of normal controls (P<0.01) but not statistically different from that of PID patients. (2)In patients with NSCLC, the concentration of IL-6 in BALF was slightly higher than that of serum IL-6, but this difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). (3)Serum IL-6 level was higher in NSCLC of advanced stages (stage IIIa, IIIb and IV), as compared with that in NSCLC patients of early stages (stage Ia-IIb). BALF IL-6 level of NSCLC patients at different stages was not different. (4)IL-6 (level in serum but not in BALF) of PID patients correlated with the serum concentration of C reactive protein (r=0.74).


CONCLUSIONS
IL-6 in BALF might be used as a marker for NSCLC. Serum IL-6 level might be an indicator for the stage of NSCLC. The serum IL-6 can also reflect the severity of acute lung inflammatory response.
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Second Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, China.
Fang
F
Huang
Xiang-ling
XL
Wang
Yan
Y
Geng
Miao-xian
MX
Li
D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein