title: Clinical value of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) in non-small cell lung cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new type of tumor biomarker, eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), in serum for the early diagnosis, confirmative diagnosis as well as assessment of treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  130 patients with NSCLC and 50 healthy individuals undergoing physical examination in our hospital provided the observation and healthy control groups. An enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) method was applied to determine serum eEF2 levels. Serum neuron specific enolase (NSE) and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) levels in the observation group were assessed with an automatic biochemical analyzer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median levels of eEF2 in the serum of NSCLC patients was found to be significantly higher than the healthy control group (p < 0.01) and it was markedly higher in stages III, IV than stages I, II (p < 0.05). eEF2 was higher with tumor size ≥ 2 cm than <2 cm (P< 0.01). Furthermore, two weeks after surgery patients showed a significant trend for eEF2 decrease (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) has certain clinical values for early diagnosis, verification, and prognosis as well as classification of lung cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory Center of Shaoxing People's Hospital, Shaoxing Hospital of Zhejiang University, Shaoxing, China E-mail : dxj9666@163.com.
authors.forename: Hong-Gang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xue-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ming-Feng
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xing-Mu
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019540:Area Under Curve; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054736:Elongation Factor 2 Kinase / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C517689:EEF2K protein, human; D054736:Elongation Factor 2 Kinase