Elevated Serum Levels of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase, Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1, And Cyclooxygenase-2 In Patients with Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in lung tissue. Genetic and epigenetic abnormalities can be seen in lung cancer. These abnormalities can lead to activation of oncogene and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Inflammation is a powerful mediator of cancer development. Pulmonary inflammation may play a role in the initiation or progression of cancer. The main mediator of inflammation is inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which synthesizes nitric oxide from L-arginine. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is one of the important chemokines that regulate the migration and infiltration of monocytes/macrophages. It has been determined that MCP-1 plays an important role in lung allergic inflammation, lung leukocyte infiltration and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in the pathogenesis of asthma. Cyclooxygenases (COX) are responsible for prostaglandin production from arachidonic acid. They contribute to inflammation-induced carcinogenesis. COX2 is the enzyme responsible for inflammation induced by inflammatory stimuli, hormones and growth factors. In line with the information given, in this study, serum levels of COX2, iNOS and MCP-1 were determined using the ELISA method in 90 (36 adenocarcinoma, 36 squamous cell, 18 small cell carcinoma) lung cancer patients and 90 healthy control individuals. It was determined that COX2, iNOS and MCP-1 serum concentrations in lung cancer patients were significantly higher than in control individuals (p<0.001). However, no statistically significant difference was detected between lung cancer histological subtypes (p>0.05). It is thought that our findings may contribute to early diagnosis and development of new treatments for lung cancer.