[Relationship between circulating tumor cells and coagulation factors in primary lung cancer patients]

To investigate the relationship between the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and the values of coagulation factors including D-dimer (D-D), fibrinogen (FIB) and platelet (PLT) in primary lung cancer patients.

Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from 79 patients with previously untreated primary lung cancer. The levels of D-D, FIB and PLT were detected. The CTCs were enriched by negative immunomagnetic separation with anti-CD45 antibody and then detected by immunocytochemistry with Anti-pan Cytokeratin antibody. The relationship between these parameters and clinicopathologic characteristics of the patients was analyzed.

The levels of D-D, FIB and PLT were( 1.74±2.04) mg/L, (3.51±1.46 )g/L, (311±139)×10(9)/L, respectively. The level of D-D was associated with distant metastasis of lung cancer (P=0.046). The level of FIB was associated with clinical stage and distant metastasis (P<0.05). The level of PLT was associated with age, clinical stage and distant metastasis (all P<0.05). Among the 79 patients, there were 45 CTC-positive and 34 CTC-negative cases. The levels of D-D in the CTC-positive and CTC-negative groups were (2.31±2.41)mg/L and (0.99±1.02)mg/L, those of FIB were (3.79±1.56)g/L and (3.14±1.25)g/L, and those of PLT were (338±130)×10(9)/L and (229±129)×10(9)/L, respectively(P<0.05 for all). The positive rate of CTC was significantly higher in the metastasis group (82.8%), significantly higher than that in the non-metastatic group (42.0%, P<0.001). The levels of D-D, FIB and PLT in the metastasis group were (2.33±1.95)mg/L, (4.13±1.43)g/L and (433±74)×10(9)/L, but were (1.40±2.03) mg/L, (3.15±1.37)g/L and (206±88)×10(9)/L in the non-metastatic group (P<0.05 for all).

The detection of circulating tumor cells may facilitate early prediction of distant metastasis of lung cancer. The hypercoagulation state is more-likely correlated with the distant metastasis of lung cancer.