P2-060: Altered iron metabolism, inflammation, transferrin receptors and ferritin expression in lung cancer

Abstract

Alterations in whole-body iron metabolism are known to occur in patients with cancer. Iron could participate in carcinogenesis and overabundance of iron is associated with increased risk of neoplasia at the site of metal deposition. The relationship between the iron status and survival of lung cancer patients and the expression of transferrin receptors 1 (TfR1) and ferritin in tumor tissue, tumor stroma and normal lung were studied. These findings were correlated with tumor type and clinical outcome in 111 male patients. Iron metabolism and inflammation parameters were determined by automated laboratory measurements at the time of diagnosis. TfR1 and ferritin expression were determined by immuno-histochemical methods on cancer tissue, tumor stroma and on the surrounding normal lung tissue. More than fifty percentages of patients survived less than 12 months. At the time of diagnosis approximately a half of the patients had mild anemia of chronic disease and significantly elevated serum ferritin. Nonspecific laboratory markers of inflammation were present. Tumor tissue expressed much more TfR1 and ferritin than the tumor stroma and normal lung tissue. The expression of TfR1 and the ferritin content in tumor tissue depended on the carcinoma type. TfR1 and the ferritin content in tumor tissue did not show correlation with systemic parameters of most of iron metabolism parameters. Strong ferritin expression in tumor tissue correlates only with lower transferin saturation. Higher expression of ferritin in tumor tissue is not the results of higher body iron accumulation. Elevated serum ferritin in lung cancer patients is results of inflammation and oxidative stress rather than body iron overload.