Promoter methylation status of is associated with decreased overall survival and TNM status in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with 5-year overall survival less than 15%. Therefore, it is essential to find biomarkers for early detection and prognosis. Aberrant DNA methylation is a common feature of human cancers and its utility is already recognized in cancer management.

Association of Coding Polymorphism with Lung Function and Serum IL-1β Concentration in Patients Diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic disease characterized by a progressive decline in lung function due to airflow limitation, mainly related to IL-1β-induced inflammation. We have hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes, coding for key regulators of IL-1β, are associated with pathogenesis and clinical phenotypes of COPD. We recruited 704 COPD individuals and 1238 healthy controls for this study.

Size, edge, and stage of NSCLC determine the release of CYFRA 21-1 in bloodstream.

Background: The computed tomography (CT) is the "golden standard" for the assessment of lung cancer progression due to its ability to clearly display the radiomorphologic characteristics. As lung cancer mortality is very high, more comprehensive approaches may be needed for its earlier diagnosis. The research hypothesis was to investigate the relation between the CT morphologic characteristics (size, stage, and edges) of pulmonary lesion and the extent of release of a soluble fragment of cytokeratin 19 being a part of the cytoskeleton of lung epithelial cells.

Differences in initial NSE levels in malignant and benign diseases of the thoracic wall.

Background: Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is widely used to follow-up patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Since the NSE level can be influenced by a broad range of diseases and disorders a large study should be done to assess its level in various lung and non-lung tumors and benign diseases.

Methods: This research included 328 SCLC patients, 717 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 50 other thoracic cancers such as tumors of the mediastinum and mesothelioma, 35 non-pulmonary cancers like esophagus, breast and stomach cancer, 205 benign diseases, and 37 healthy individuals.

ICTP in bone metastases of lung cancer.

Bone metastases often appear in advanced stages of lung cancer. They are the result of modulation of bone metabolism by tumor cells that migrated into bone microenvironment and degraded bone organic matrix. Measurement of C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) in the serum of subjects with lung cancer with and without bone metastases and healthy population is the way to explore bone resorption.

Determining the cut-off value of pro-gastrin releasing peptide (ProGRP) in lung cancer according to population characteristics.

The standardisation process consisted of determining tumour marker levels in all relevant population groups which are connected with the biology of the marker in normal and tumourous cells. This makes clinical application possible. ProGRP serum levels were measured in 273 healthy subjects, 176 patients with benign diseases and tumours, 200 with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), 294 with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 21 with carcinoid tumour, 93 with undifferentiated lung cancer, 35 with mixed SCLC-NSCLC, and 189 with other malignancies.

CYFRA 21-1 in non-small cell lung cancer--standardisation and application during diagnosis.

There is no ideal tumour marker at present. The clinical application of CYFRA 21-1 is possible once a thorough standardisation process is carried out. Standardisation is achieved by determining the reference range in asymptomatic population, benign and malignant lung diseases, and benign and malignant diseases of other organs.