The clinicopathological significance of preoperative serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor concentrations in operable non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

Abstract

Serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) concentrations have been found to be elevated in cancer patients. However, the importance of this finding in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been previously established. Preoperative serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations were determined in 65 consecutive patients with operable NSCLC. The correlation of preoperative serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations with various clinicopathological features of this cancer was evaluated to clarify the clinical significance of this parameter. Although serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations were not significantly higher in operable NSCLC patients than in normal controls (P = .1180), serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations were significantly higher in patients with stage IIIB or IV disease than in normal controls (P = .0001). The presence of intrapulmonary metastasis was the only clinicopathological feature that was significantly correlated to serum-soluble IL-2R concentration (P = .0004). The sensitivity of serum-soluble IL-2R concentration in identifying the presence of intrapulmonary metastasis was 87.5%; specificity was 75%. Elevated preoperative serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations in patients with operable NSCLC reflect the occurrence of intrapulmonary metastasis. Preoperative examination of serum-soluble IL-2R concentrations may be valuable in the detection of the intrapulmonary metastasis preoperatively.