Abstract
BackgroundIt is known that tissue and serum sialic acid levels may be altered by malignant transformation. In this study, sialic acid levels were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) and serum in two groups of patients with lung cancer and non-malignant diseases of the lung.MethodsColorimetric methods were used for determination sialic acid in serum and in BAL samples. Flexible bronchoscopy was used to obtain the latter.ResultsSialic acid levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum did not show any statistically significant difference between subjects with malignant and the non-malignant lung diseases (p > 0.05). Sialic acid levels were also unrelated to the stage and localization of the tumor (p > 0.05).ConclusionsSialic acid levels do not appear to be a good marker for discriminating malignant from non-malignant diseases of the lung.
Highlights
It is known that tissue and serum sialic acid levels may be altered by malignant transformation
bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) samples were obtained from the lobe containing the cancer in patients with lung cancer, from the segment(s) of greatest involvement in patients with pneumonia and lung tuberculosis, and from the right middle lobe in the setting of other diseases
(CEA) and CanAg CA-50 or neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in serum and in BAL is a useful aid in the diagnosis of lung malignancy [4]
Summary
It is known that tissue and serum sialic acid levels may be altered by malignant transformation. The carbohydrate moiety characterizes the cohesive, adhesive and antigenic properties by its effect on cell-tocell contacts. These properties often change substantially after malignant transformation of a cell. Development of malignancy could affect the serum and tissue sialic acid levels as well [1]. Sialic acid molecules can potentially inhibit intermolecular and intercellular interactions by virtue of their negative charge. They can act as critical components of ligands recognized by a variety of animal, plant, and microbial proteins termed sialic acid binding lectins [2]. Sialic acid concentrations vary physiologically with age, but their levels may be influenced by such conditions as inflammation, neoplastic tumors or inborn genetic disorders, which cause abnormal sialic acid metabolism [3]
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