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Neopterin: a prognostic variable in operations for lung cancer
R Prommegger1, B Widner, C Murr
1Department of Thoracic Surgery and Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Austria. rupert.prommegger@uibk.ac.at
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|January 13, 2001
Summary
Preoperative neopterin levels can predict lung cancer survival. Elevated neopterin indicates a worse prognosis, aiding treatment decisions for operable patients at high risk.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Biomarker Research
Background:
- Neopterin, a marker of monocytic cell activity, is elevated in various diseases, including malignancies.
- High neopterin levels are associated with poorer prognosis in several tumor types.
- This study investigates neopterin's prognostic value in lung cancer patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prognostic significance of preoperatively measured neopterin levels for lung cancer patient survival.
- To determine if neopterin can serve as an immunologically based predictor of tumor aggression and clinical behavior.
Main Methods:
- Preoperative urinary neopterin levels were measured in 110 lung cancer patients.
- Neopterin concentrations were correlated with patient survival post-operation.
- Exclusion criteria included suspected stage IIIB disease and concurrent infectious diseases.
Main Results:
- Univariate analysis showed significantly lower survival probability for patients in the highest neopterin quartile (>212 micromol/mol creatinine).
- Multivariate analysis identified elevated neopterin (>212 micromol/mol creatinine) and T-stage as significant predictors of worse survival.
- Median follow-up was 17.4 months.
Conclusions:
- Preoperative neopterin is a reliable prognostic factor for lung cancer survival.
- Neopterin may offer an immunological assessment of tumor aggressiveness.
- Elevated neopterin could assist in nonoperative treatment decisions for high-risk operable patients.