IL-2 concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients

Abstract

The results of treatment and the survival time of lung cancer patients are strictly dependent on early diagnosis. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) are the most effective diagnostic methods in cancer diagnosis. These methods allowed us to evaluate biological neoplastic markers at the site of the tumor. Using commercially available ELISA kits (Endogen) followed by ETI-system (SORIN) analysis we measured the IL-2 concentration in BALF of 36 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients before (Gr. I) and after (Gr. II) surgery and 18 non-neoplastic lung disorder patients as a control group (6 cases of sarcoidosis and 12 cases of COPD). In BALF of Gr. I Macrophage percentage was higher (x = 74.125%), and lymphocyte percentage was lower (x = 15.875%) than in sarcoidosis x = 38.33% and x = 64.3% respectively. IL-2 of BALF was not detected in 83.4% of squamous cell lung cancer cases (Gr. I) before treatment. The average IL-2 BALF concentration of the remaining portion of this group was 80.49pg/ml/mg p. IL-2 was detected in Gr. II (x = 151.003 pg/ml/mg p.) after combined cancer resection. An inverse correlation was found between IL-2 BALF concentration and disease stage.