The value of serum endostatin level in early diagnosis of lung cancer

Objective: To investigate value of serum endostatin level in early diagnosis of lung cancer. Methods: ELISA was used to detect the level of serum endostatin at in 40 lung carcinoma patients, 18 males and 4 females, aged 59.50 ± 14.58. The serum endostatin levels of the lung cancer patients at different clinical stage and of different pathological types were analyzed. The change of serum endostatin level before and after chemotherapy was observed. Twenty patients with benign lung disease and 20 normal persons were used as controls. Results: (1) The serum endostatin level of the lung cancer patients was 10.71 ±9.99) ng/ml, significantly higher than those of the patients with benign lung diseases and the normal persons (4.79 ± 1.23 ng/ml and 4.51 ± 1.14 ng/ml, respectively, both P < 0.01). (2) The serum endostatin level of the lung cancer patients at the stage I and II were 13.63 ± 13.13 ng/ml and 12.35 ± 5.79 ng/ml respectively, booth significantly higher than that of the patients at the stage III (6.29 ± 1.64, P = 0.023 and P = 0.023). (3) There were no significant differences in the serum endostatin level among the lung cancer patients with different pathological types. (4) The serum endostatin level of the lung cancer patients after chemotherapy was 7.83 ± 1.48 ng/ml, significantly higher than that before the chemotherapy (5.59 ± 1.74, P = 0.04). Conclusion: (1) Rising in lung cancer at stages I and II, level of serum may probably be used as the a sign in early diagnosis of lung cancer. (2) After chemotherapy the level of endostatin has a trend of rising. The changes of serum endostatin level will be used as a sign in observation of treatment and prognosis.