Shimizu Makoto, Kondo Masashi, Ito Yasushi, Kume Hiroaki, Suzuki Ryujiro, Yamaki Kenichi
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine 65, Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8560, Japan.
Cancer Detect Prev. 2005;29(2):175-80. doi: 10.1016/j.cdp.2004.09.001. Epub 2004 Nov 14.
The Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) system is a major regulator of apoptosis. Chemotherapeutic drugs have been shown to induce Fas expression on the surface of lung cancer cells, and cancer cell apoptosis. However, this mechanism is not considered to be associated with Fas expressed on lung cancer cells. Soluble Fas and FasL concentrations are reportedly elevated in the peripheral blood of patients with lung cancer, but the roles of circulating soluble Fas and FasL in that disease have not been clarified.
We measured the circulating soluble Fas and FasL levels in 21 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and 12 healthy matched controls, in order to examine whether such ligands could provide any important information and/or reveal any new clinical features of SCLC.
In the CR patients, the neuronal specific enolase (NSE), soluble Fas and soluble FasL concentrations were 21.26+/-3.65 ng/ml, 3.58+/-0.19 ng/ml and 0.50+/-0.15 ng/ml, while in the partial response (PR)/no change (NC)/progressive disease (PD) group of patients they were 33.96+/-7.86 ng/ml, 5.29+/-0.29 ng/ml and 0.59+/-0.07 ng/ml, respectively. The NSE, soluble Fas and soluble FasL concentrations were all elevated in the PR/NC/PD patients, however, significant differences were only seen in Fas concentration between CR and PR/NC/PD patients and CR patients and the controls (p<0.001).
Serum soluble Fas and FasL play important roles in the proliferation and metastasis of SCLC, as well as in the cytotoxic reaction and apoptosis induced by anticancer drugs in SCLC. Further study of the mechanisms and participation of circulating soluble Fas and FasL is necessary to develop treatment strategies for SCLC.
Fas/Fas配体（FasL）系统是细胞凋亡的主要调节因子。化疗药物已被证明可诱导肺癌细胞表面Fas表达及癌细胞凋亡。然而，该机制被认为与肺癌细胞上表达的Fas无关。据报道，肺癌患者外周血中可溶性Fas和FasL浓度升高，但循环可溶性Fas和FasL在该疾病中的作用尚未阐明。
我们检测了21例小细胞肺癌（SCLC）患者和12例健康对照者的循环可溶性Fas和FasL水平，以研究这些配体是否能提供任何重要信息和/或揭示SCLC的任何新临床特征。
完全缓解（CR）患者的神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）、可溶性Fas和可溶性FasL浓度分别为21.26±3.65 ng/ml、3.58±0.19 ng/ml和0.50±0.15 ng/ml，而部分缓解（PR）/无变化（NC）/疾病进展（PD）组患者的相应浓度分别为33.96±7.86 ng/ml、5.29±0.29 ng/ml和0.59±0.07 ng/ml。PR/NC/PD患者的NSE、可溶性Fas和可溶性FasL浓度均升高，然而，仅CR患者与PR/NC/PD患者之间以及CR患者与对照组之间的Fas浓度存在显著差异（p<0.001）。
血清可溶性Fas和FasL在SCLC的增殖和转移以及SCLC中抗癌药物诱导的细胞毒性反应和凋亡中起重要作用。进一步研究循环可溶性Fas和FasL的机制及参与情况对于制定SCLC的治疗策略是必要的。
