title: Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide and neuron-specific enolase: useful predictors of response to chemotherapy and survival in patients with small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was (1) to evaluate and predict the value of ProGRP and NSE in therapy and survival; (2) as well as to investigate the correlation between the ProGRP mRNA expression in peripheral blood and serum ProGRP protein.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 122 patients with SCLC without prior therapy. The serum levels of ProGRP and NSE were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and eletro-chemiluminescence immunoassay, respectively. The expression of ProGRP mRNA was detected by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Distribution of serum levels of ProGRP, NSE and ProGRP mRNA differed significantly according to tumor size, disease stage and distant metastasis (all P < 0.05), and no association was found between them and gender or age (both P > 0.05). After two courses of chemotherapy, patients of remission and stable groups showed a marked decrease in ProGRP and NSE concentrations (P < 0.05). The ProGRP concentration of patients in progression group was significantly higher than pretreatment level (P < 0.05), while NSE concentration was not. A linear nonparametric (Spearman) correlation test revealed that there was a significant correlation between ProGRP mRNA expression in peripheral blood and serum ProGRP protein level (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis found a statistically significant association of survival with disease stage, distant metastasis, ProGRP and NSE (P < 0.05). Gender, age and tumor size were not prognostic factors (P > 0.05). Multiple Cox regression model analysis found that only disease stage and NSE were significant predictors (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has found that there is a potential role for ProGRP and NSE in both therapy monitoring and predicting survival in SCLC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, No. 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, 250117, China.|Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Jinan, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, No. 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, 250117, China.|Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Jinan, Jinan, China.|Department of Medical Oncology II, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, No. 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, 250117, China.|Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Jinan, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, No. 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, 250117, China.|Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Jinan, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, No. 440 Jiyan Road, Jinan, 250117, China. sdszlyyslh@163.com.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000401:mortality*; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C087079:pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (31-98); D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase
keywords: Neuron-specific enolase (NSE); Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP); Prognosis; Small cell lung cancer (SCLC); Therapy