Background: Early lung carcinoma detection strategies involving imaging studies have yet to demonstrate a reduction in mortality. Identification of serum biomarkers that could complement radiologic studies and facilitate earlier diagnosis of lung carcinoma would be of significant benefit to patients. In the current pilot study, the authors evaluated two overexpressed proteins in lung carcinoma, serum amyloid A (SAA) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), as potential diagnostic serum biomarkers for this malignancy.
Methods: Serum levels of SAA and MIF were measured in 50 patients using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the markers in detecting lung carcinoma were determined.
Results: SAA levels in patients with lung carcinoma were greater than in the control patients (P = 0.07). Serum SAA levels did not exhibit a correlation with tumor size or clinical stage and were higher in patients with squamous cell carcinoma than in patients with other histologic disease types. MIF was unable to differentiate patients with lung carcinoma from patients with other diseases.
Conclusions: SAA possesses potential utility as a serum biomarker for lung carcinoma, probably in conjunction with other serum markers that improve its diagnostic accuracy. Before a larger study is performed, the discovery of additional biomarkers to enhance the specificity of SAA in the diagnosis of lung carcinoma is recommended.
Copyright 2004 American Cancer Society.