title: Levels of circulating microparticles in lung cancer patients and possible prognostic value.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endothelial-derived microparticles (EDMPs) and platelet-derived microparticles (PDMPs) have been reported to be increasing in various diseases including malignant diseases. Here, we investigated whether these MPs may be useful biomarkers for predicting lung cancer (LC) disease status, cell type, or metastasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and thirty LC patients were prospectively enrolled into the study between April 2011 and February 2012. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that the circulating levels of platelet-derived activated MPs (PDAc-MPs), platelet-derived apoptotic MPs (PDAp-MPs), endothelial-derived activated MPs (EDAc-MPs), and endothelial-derived apoptotic MPs (EDAp-MPs) were significantly higher in LC patients than in 30 age- and gender-matched normal control subjects (all P < 0.05). Additionally, circulating level of PDAc-MPs was significantly lower (P = 0.031), whereas the circulating levels of the other three biomarkers did not differ (all P > 0.1) in early stage versus late stage LC patients. Furthermore, the circulating levels of the four types of MPs did not differ among patients with different disease statuses (i.e., disease controlled, disease progression, and disease without treatment, i.e., fresh case) (all P > 0.2) or between patients with or without LC metastasis (all P > 0.5). Moreover, only the circulating level of EDAp-MPs was significantly associated with the different cell types (i.e., squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma) of LC (P = 0.045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating MP levels are significantly increased in LC patients as compared with normal subjects. Among the MPs, only an increased level of EDAp-MPs was significantly associated with different LC cell types.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Chin-Chou
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huang-Chih
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Tzu-Hsien
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Li-Teh
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Kuo-Tung
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leu
authors.forename: Chia-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Shih-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chih-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Cheng-Ta
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hon-Kan
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.forename: Meng-Chih
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D055252:Cell-Derived Microparticles; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor