Objective To investigate the clinical significance of precursor of gastrin‐releasing peptide(ProGRP) for the differen‐tial diagnosis between small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non‐small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) and efficacy assessment .Methods The levels of ProGRP were detected by ELISA in 210 healthy adults ,200 patients with lung benign disease ,260 patients with NSCLC and 182 patients with SCLC before treatment and after chemotherapy .Results The level of ProGRP in the SCLC group was significantly higher than that in the NSCLC group ,healthy control group and lung benign disease group(P<0 .01) .The sensi‐tivity of ProGRP for detecting SCLC was 56 .3% and the specificity was 92 .6% .When combination detection of ProGRP and NSE was used ,the sensitivity increased to 82 .6% ;the level of ProGRP in the patients with SCLC after 2‐cycle chemotherapy was signifi‐cantly lower than before treatment (P<0 .01) .Conclusion The tumor marker ProGRP has very important guidance significance to assisted diagnosis ,differential diagnosis and efficacy assessment of chemotherapy in the patients with SCLC .

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEIt ha been proven that serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration was elevated significantly after surgery in patients of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Platelet may be the main resource of serum VEGF. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between postoperative dynamic changes of serum VEGF levels and platelet counts in patients of NSCLC who underwent surgery.

METHODSSerum VEGF levels were determined in 76 patients of NSCLC who were treated with surgery by ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) method before operation and on postoperative day 1, 7. At the same day the concentrations of platelet were determined. RESULTS (1) Serum VEGF in patients of NSCLC on preoperative day, postoperative 1 day and 7 day were (842.06 +/- 527.24) pg/mL, (1 119.28 +/- 609.62) pg/mL, (1 574.09 +/- 873.38) pg/mL, respectively (P < 0.001); (2) Platelet counts in patients of NSCLC on preoperative day, postoperative 1 day and 7 day were (230.42 +/- 82.56 x 10(9)/L, (196.47 +/- 81.48) x 10(9)/L, (237.90 +/- 86.94) x 10(9)/L; the value on postoperative 1 day was the lowest (P < 0.001); (3) On postoperative 7 day, serum VEGF in the group of lower than the mean and higher than the mean were respectively (1 398.81 +/- 734.00) pg/mL and (1 842.86 +/- 1 006.63) pg/mL (P = 0.043).

CONCLUSIONSerum VEGF in patients of NSCLC after surgery were elevated. In the group of higher platelet counts, serum VEGF increased more significantly.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; blood ; surgery ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Count ; Postoperative Period ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors ; blood