Soluble Fas (sFas) And Soluble Fas Ligand (sFasL) Level In Non Small-cell Lung Cancer Before And After Operation

Objective: To study the changes of serum soluble Fas(sFas) and soluble Fas ligand(sFasL) level in patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer before and after surgical treatment and its clinical value.Methods:Serum level of sFas and sFasL was determined by double antibody sandwich ELISA(Enzyme linked immunosorbenl assays ) in samples taken from both 86 cases (squmous cell carcinoma 46 cases and adenocarcinoma 40 cases)of patients with non small-cell lung cancer and in samples taken form 52 cases of healthy volunteers. Among the 86 patients, 68 cases treated by surgery were checked on the day before surgery(T0) ,and 2 weeks(Tl) ,and 6 months after surgery(T2)respectively.Results: Serum level of sFas and sFasL in patients with non small-cell lung cancer was significantly higher than that of the normal controls(p<0.01). There was no significant difference between male patients and female patients both in level of sFas and in level of sFasL(P>0.05) ,and no significant difference between patients with ages higher than 50 and patients with ages lower than 50(P>0.05). Serum level of sFas and sFasL in stage â…£ patients was higher than that in other stages patients(P<0.05 or P<0.01), and that in stage â…¢ patients higher than that in stage â…¡ patients(P<0.05), and that in stage â…¡ higher than that in stage â…  (P<0.01). Between stage â…  and normal controls, significant difference was found in sFasL(P<0.01),and not found in sFas(P>0.05). There was no significant difference between squmous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma both in sFas and in sFasL..After surgery there was a statistically significant decrease in sFas at both T1(P<0.05) and T2 (P<0.01),and in sFasL at T2(P<0.01).Conclusions: Serum level of sFas and sFasL in non small-cell lung cancer was significantly higher than that of normal control ,and was correlated with TNM stages and not with sex,age and pathologic types.The decrease in level of sFas and sFasL after surgery suggests that they may be produced by or closely linked to tumour cells; Detection of level of sFas and sFasL may play an important role for cancer therapy and predict prognosis in non small-cell lung cancer;Large prospective clinical studies of patients with non small-cell lung cancer will be needed to establish the clinical significance of sFas and sFasL.