Serum levels of sFas and sFasL during chemotherapy of lung cancer.
THE AIM of this study was to assess the clinical usefulness of determination of soluble Fas (sFas) and soluble Fas Ligand (sFasL) during chemotherapy of lung cancer.


METHODS
The study included 80 patients (69 males; 11 females; mean age 64 years; 48 with non-small cell lung cancer-NSCLC, 32 with small cell lung cancer-SCLC). The control group consisted of 15 healthy volunteers. The peripheral blood samples were taken before and after 4 cycles of chemotherapy. sFas and sFasL levels were assessed by Elisa method.


RESULTS
The serum sFas and sFasL levels observed at the end of the chemotherapy were higher in all patients with lung cancer compared to healthy volunteers. The levels of sFas and sFasL were higher after chemotherapy than before therapy. The levels of sFasL were significantly higher in SCLC patients than in NSCLC ones. There were no significant differences in serum sFasL levels in relation to clinical stage of lung cancer. After chemotherapy the levels of sFas were higher in patients with metastases. There were no significant differences in serum sFasL levels in relation to response to therapy. At the end of the therapy the serum levels of sFas were higher in Partial Response group than in Progressed patients. Before chemotherapy the levels of sFas were higher in Progressive Disease group than in No Change one. The levels of sFas observed after chemotherapy were higher in Partial Response group than in No Change one.


CONCLUSIONS
Determination of serum sFas and sFasL levels can be useful in clinical practice, but their practical significance needs further studies.
Naumnik
W
W
Department of Pneumonology and Tuberculosis, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. naumw@post.pl
Izycki
T
T
Ossolinska
M
M
Chyczewska
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012995:Solubility; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000097:blood*
D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D019014:fas Receptor