TNF-α determination in serum and pleural effusion in patients with lung cancer

The relationship between Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) in the serum and pleural fluid of lung cancer patients and the extent and the histological cell type was studied. TNF-α level was determined in the serum of 68 patients with lung cancer [51 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 17 small cell lung cancer (SCLC)] and in pleural fluid of 30 patients with lung cancer (22 NSCLC, 11 of them positive for neoplastic cells and 8 SCLC, 7 of them positive). Sera of 31 healthy subjects and the pleural fluid of 15 non-malignant pleural effusions were tested as controls. TNF-α serum level was increased in patients with lung cancer (healthy subjects 7.8 ± 3.3 pg/ml; lung cancer 16.2 ± 9.1 pg/ml), in NSCLC as well as SCLC and a relationship with the extent of the disease was found in both the histological types. In pleural fluid, no differences of TNF-α level were observed between neoplastic and benign inflammatory effusion, between SCLC and NSCLC or between cases positive and negative for the presence of neoplastic cells. Serum TNF-α may be an indicator of tumour burden; conversely, TNF-α in pleural fluid, was unable to discriminate between neoplastic and benign effusion.