Calprotectin as a Potential Biomarker for Inflammation in Lung Cancer Patients

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Oncology and Cancer Research
• Immunology and Inflammation

Background:

• Calprotectin (CLP), a neutrophil and monocyte-derived protein complex, is integral to inflammatory responses.
• Elevated CLP levels are associated with various inflammatory and malignant conditions, prompting investigation in lung cancer.
• Understanding CLP's role in lung cancer may offer new diagnostic avenues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate serum calprotectin (CLP) concentrations in lung cancer patients.
• To assess the association of CLP levels with hematological, biochemical, and inflammatory parameters.
• To determine the diagnostic performance of CLP for lung cancer.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study comparing newly diagnosed lung cancer patients with healthy controls.
• Measurement of serum CLP, routine laboratory parameters, and inflammatory indices (NLR, PLR, SII, SIRI, PIV).
• Statistical analyses including correlation, ROC analysis, and comparisons across subgroups.

Main Results:

• Serum CLP levels were significantly higher in lung cancer patients versus controls (p < 0.001).
• Elevated CLP was observed in patients with positive molecular testing (p = 0.025).
• CLP showed a positive correlation with SIRI (r=0.323, p=0.004) and PIV (r=0.395, p<0.001), with AUC of 0.930 for lung cancer diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Serum CLP levels are significantly elevated in lung cancer and possess strong discriminative ability.
• CLP demonstrates superior diagnostic performance compared to common inflammatory indices like PIV and SIRI.
• CLP may serve as a valuable, noninvasive supportive biomarker for lung cancer, reflecting inflammatory burden.