title: Histamine and selenium in lung cancer.
abstract: The relationship between allergies and cancer incidence and the role played by histamine on the immune system and on inhibiting tumor growth have been the subject of study in our group. The influence of histamine dosage on free radicals was investigated in both lung cancer and healthy subjects. Plasmatic selenium levels in the same patients were assayed in order to highlight the role played by free radicals in lung cancer. The role of selenium on the genesis of lung cancer is well known. Thirty-seven male patients with lung adenocarcinoma or squamous carcinoma were tested. The control group included thirty-nine healthy male subjects. The results indicated a significant decrease in histamine plasma levels in subjects with cancer (p=0.0038) compared to the healthy subjects. Smoking significantly reduced the histamine plasma levels in cancer patients (p=0.0044). Such a decrease was not significant in the controls (p=0.063). A significant decrease in selenium plasma levels in the cancer patients (p=0.005) was also observed. The data suggest that histamine and selenium are two factors involved in the pathogenesis of lung cancer, which could be used in protective and therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: U.O.C. di Chirurgia Toracica, Università degli Studi di Messina, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria G. Martino, Messina, Italy. fdellarovere@unime.it
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Della Rovere
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Granata
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Familiari
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zirilli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cimino
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomaino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006632:Histamine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood*; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006632:Histamine; D012643:Selenium