Are Serum Alpha-1-Antitrypsin and Alpha-2-Macroglobulin Levels Related with Tumor Histology or Stage of the Lung Cancer?

In certain types of cancer, increased serum protease inhibitor levels were identified and clues showing that, serum levels of protease inhibitor could be used in the assessment of prognosis and dissemination of tumor were obtained. We aimed to reveal whether serum alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) and alpha-2-macroglobulin (AMG) levels of patients with lung cancer are related with histological type, clinical stage, and advance of cancer. The patients enrolled in the study were the ones with a histopathologic diagnosis of primary lung cancer and they were not administered any treatment before. Levels of serum AAT and AMG were analyzed at the moment of diagnosis. A total of 47 patients were enrolled in the study – 42 males and 5 females. The average age was 58.9. Tumor cell type was non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in 36 and small cell lung carcinoma in 11 patients. There was a negative correlation between serum AAT level and age (p= 0.21 r=-0.339). No correlation was identified between serum AMG level and age (p= 0.138 r= 0.222). There was no significant relation between histological types of lung cancer and serums AAT and AMG (p= 0.807, p= 0.411 respectively). AAT and AMG levels were not different in limited and extensive small cell lung carcinoma (p= 0.201 and p= 0.465). AAT and AMG levels based on stages were not found to be different in NSCLC (p= 0.646 and p=0.650). AAT and AMG levels did not vary based on distant metastasis or local spread in NSCLC (p= 0.371 and p= 0.676). Serum alpha-1-antitrypsin and alpha-2-macroglobulin levels in patients with lung cancer do not vary based on histological types, stage of the disease, local, distant and lymphatic spread of the tumor.