Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 9, 2025
Radiation Treatment of Organotypic Cultures from Submandibular and Parotid Salivary Glands Models Key In Vivo Characteristics
Published on: May 17, 2019
Chemoradiation in Lung Cancer: Effect on Levels of NGAL and Vitamin D in Serum
Background:
Mortality due to lung cancer is one of the growing concerns worldwide. Accurate and timely diagnosis is the key to treatment of this disease. Neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) and vitamin D have been found to be associated with cancer and may have potential to act as biomarkers for lung cancer.
Methods:
Serum levels of NGAL and 25 hydroxy vitamin D (25OH vitamin D) were estimated in 25 patients with lung cancer before (Group I) and 4 weeks after standard treatment (Group II) by chemoradiation. The levels were also analyzed in 25 apparently healthy controls and data was compared among different groups using appropriate statistical analysis. NGAL was estimated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and 25OH vitamin D by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in the serum samples.
Results:
Serum NGAL levels were found to be increased significantly in patients before treatment as compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001) while the levels decreased significantly after treatment (p < 0.01). The levels of vitamin D were found to be decreased in lung cancer patients as compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05) while after treatment the levels of vitamin D were found to be significantly increased (p < 0.001). The correlation was not statistically significant between the levels of vitamin D and NGAL in Group I (r = 0.12, p = 0.57), Group IIa (r = 0.037, p = 0.86), and Group IIb (r = 0.091, p = 0.66).
Conclusions:
Serum NGAL and vitamin D bear the potential to act as biomarkers in patients with lung cancer.
Related Concept Videos
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:27Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists
01:28Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...