title: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid alteration in antioxidant and inflammatory status in lung cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased oxidative and inflammatory markers have been reported in lung cancer patients, but relatively few studies have investigated the presence of antioxidants both in the local lung environment and in the systemic circulation. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that the immune system activation in vivo is regulated by the redox environment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate local and systemically circulating antioxidant and inflammatory mediators in lung cancer patients and potential correlations between them.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty two male patients (mean age 65±8years) with primary lung cancer were studied. Sixteen age and smoking history matched male subjects without any evidence of malignancy served as controls. Total antioxidant status (TAS) and glutathione (GSH), as well as interleukin-1a (IL-1a), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically significant increase of TAS and GSH in BALF was observed in lung cancer patients compared to healthy subjects (0.27±0.24 vs. 0.12±0.02mmol/L, p=0.02 and 7.56±4.29 vs. 4.62±2.23μmol/L, p=0.01 respectively). Statistically significant correlations in cancer patients were observed in BALF between TAS and a. IL-1α (r=0.87, p<0.001), b. IL-6 (r=0.52, p=0.001) and c. TNF-α (r=0.67, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alteration in antioxidant and inflammatory mediator status was found in lung cancer patients both in serum and in BALF compared to healthy subjects matched for smoking history. Moreover, a positive correlation was observed between antioxidants and pro-inflammatory cytokines, but only locally and not systematically.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary and Microbiology Department, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece. kontak@auth.gr
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kontakiotis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katsoulis
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hagizisi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kougioulis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gerou
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Papakosta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013147:Spirometry
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016207:Cytokines