Early Detection and Diagnosis of Lung Cancer and Immune Circuit

ABSTRACT

Significance of immune cell and humoral circuit in terms of early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer (LC) was investigated.

In retrospective trial (1987-2008) consecutive cases after surgery, monitored 533 LCP (males - 472, females - 61; pneumonectomies - 181, upper lobectomies - 138, lower lobectomies - 67, upper/lower bilobectomies - 24, middle lobectomies - 6, segmentectomies - 76, exploratory thoracotomies and biopsies - 41) with pathologic stage I-IV (stage I - 48, stage II - 47, stage III - 321; stage IV - 117; squamous cell LC - 294, adenocarcinoma - 171, large cell LC - 48, small cell LC - 20; T1 - 116, T2 - 168, T3 - 125, T4 - 124; N0 - 148, N1 - 144, N2 - 159; N3 - 82; G1 - 88, G2 - 166, G3 - 279; M0 - 438; M1 - 95) and 282 patients with lung non-malignant pathology (NMP) (males - 188, females - 94; pneumonectomies - 5, upper lobectomies - 96, lower lobectomies - 81, middle lobectomies - 2, segmentectomies and wedge resections - 98; non-malignant tumors - 100; abscess - 112; tuberculoma - 70) were reviewed. Variables selected for study were input levels of immunity blood parameters, sex, age, TNMG. Thawed aliquoted samples were evaluated for IgG, IgM, IgA, natural antibodies, circulating immune complexes. The percentage, absolute count and total population number (per human organism) of T-lymphocytes (CD3), B-lymphocytes (CD19), helper T-lymphocytes (CD4), suppressor/cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CD8), killer cells (O-cells, K-cells or CD16), precursor T-cells (CD1), activated T-cells (CDw26), monocytes (CD64, CD13), helper/inducer T-lymphocytes (CD4+2H), contrsuppressor T-lymphocytes (CD8+VV), CD4/CD8, leukocytes, lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear and stabnuclear leukocytes were estimated. The laboratory blood studies also included input levels of NST (tests of oxygen dependent metabolism of neutrophils spontaneous and stimulated by Staphylococcus aureus or by Streptococcus pyogenes), index of stimulation of leukocytes by Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes, index of thymus function, phagocytic number, phagocyte index, index of complete phagocytosis. Differences between groups were evaluated using multi-factor clustering, nonlinear estimation (logistic regression), structural equation modeling and Monte Carlo simulation.

It was revealed that early detection of LC (stage I-II; tumor size=2.5±0.1 cm; T1-2N0M0; n=95) from NMP (n=282) significantly (P=0.000000) depended on: 1) level of immune cell circuit (χ²=38749.1; Df=989); 2) value of monocyte and macrophage circuit (χ²=662.8; Df=20); 3) level of humoral immunity (χ²=585.9; Df=9); 4) neutrophils circuit (χ²=5214.4; Df=77). It was also founded that diagnosis of LC (stage I-IV; tumor size=5.4±0.1 cm; T1-4N0-3M0-1; n=533) from NMP significantly (P=0.000000) depended on: 1) value of immune cell subpopulations (χ²=80569.9; Df=989); 2) macrophage circuit (χ2=312.1; Df=20); 3) humoral factors (χ²=243.1; Df=9); 4) neutrophils circuit (χ²=10772.3; Df=77).

Keywords: