FIBRONECTIN IN BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE FLUID IN LUNG-CANCER - TUMOR ORINFLAMMATORY MARKER

Objective: To evaluate the potential value of the level of fibronectin (FN) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as a lung tumor marke r. Method: We compare the results of determinations in the tumor-beari ng and tumor-free lungs of 38 patients with lung cancer, in 19 patient s with benign lung diseases and in 13 healthy control subjects. FN was determined in BALF by a competitive ELISA and was also measured in pl asma with a nephelometric assay. FN levels in BALF are expressed also referred to total protein content (ng FN/mg TP). Results: The distribu tion of FN levels in BALF was not gaussian, and the levels in cancer p atients were significantly greater than in healthy controls or in the contralateral lung. There was no significative difference in the level s in cancer compared with several benign conditions. In this study we observed a positive correlation between FN levels and total protein an d polymorphonuclear leukocytes in BALF in the lung cancer and benign d iseases group: Conclusion: These results do not support the possibilit y that FN levels in BALF were a general marker of lung cancer, and sug gest that FN may mark the existence of pathologic lung processes assoc iated with inflammation and, perhaps, tissue repair after bronchopulmo nary injury.