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Elevated serum beta-defensins concentrations in patients with lung cancer
Yasuji Arimura1, Jun-ichi Ashitani, Shigehisa Yanagi
1Third Department of Internal Medicine, Miyazaki Medical College, Kiyotake 5200, Miyazaki 889-1692, Japan.
Background:
Beta-defensins (HBDs) are expressed in lung epithelial cells and act as antimicrobial agents. Most lung cancers that originate from pulmonary epithelial cells may produce HBDs.
Materials And Methods:
We measured serum HBD-1 and HBD-2 levels in healthy subjects (HS), patients with lung cancer and patients with pneumonia by radioimmunoassay.
Results:
Serum HBD-1 levels were higher in patients with lung cancer than HS and patients with pneumonia. Serum HBD-2 levels were higher in patients with lung cancer than HS. When cut-off values for positive HBD-1 were set at mean + 2SD of HS, the sensitivity and specificity of HBD-1 for the whole group of patients with lung cancer were 76.4 and 94.0%, respectively, and the proportion of patients with HBD-1-positive lung cancer and clinical stage I was 69.2%.
Conclusion:
Serum HBDs levels were high in patients with lung cancer and the serum HBD-1 level could be used as an auxiliary diagnostic tool for lung cancer.