Diagnostic value of LunX mRNA and CEA mRNA expression in pleural fluid of patients with non-small cell lung cancer

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Absence of diagnostic markers for early detection of lung cancer results in its progression. No specific biomarkers are currently available for accurate detection of lung cancer. Thus, detection of lung cancer in its early stages is challenging. This study sought to assess the expression of lung-specific X protein (LunX) and carcinoembryonic an-tigen (CEA) tumor markers in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to evaluate their efficacy for detection of lung cancer in its early stages. METHODS: This study was performed on pleural fluid of 80 individuals including 40 NSCLC patients and 40 healthy con-trols. RNA extraction was performed on pleural fluid samples. Using a specific kit, cDNA was synthesized from the mRNA and gene analysis was performed using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR). RESULTS: The expression of LunX mRNA was positive in the pleural fluid samples of 90% of NSCLC patients (36 out of 40). The CEA mRNA marker was also positive in the pleural fluid samples of 82.5% of NSCLC patients (33 out of 40). The CEA mRNA marker was positive in 12 out of 40 healthy controls. None of the healthy controls was positive for LunX mRNA. CONCLUSIONS: The LunX and CEA mRNAs in the pleural fluid can serve as promising biomarkers for detection of NSCLC. Key words: Human BPIFA1 protein - Carcinoembryonic antigen - Pleural cavity - Non-small cell lung carcinoma