Comparison of Selected Markers of Local and Systemic inflammation in Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia and Pneumonia Co-existing with Lung Cancer

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to compare markers of local and systemic inflammation in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and pneumonia co-existing with lung cancer. Material and methods: We enrolled 17 patients with CAP (Group 1), 14 patients with pneumonia co-existing with lungcancer (Group 2), 24 patients with lung cancer (Group 3) and 16 healthy individuals (Group 4, the control group). We evaluated the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and serum concentrations of VEGF and TNF-α. Results: We found significantly higher EBC concentrations of VEGF and TNF-α in patients with pneumonia co-existing with lung cancer than in CAP patients (317.83 ± 77.78 vs. 30.20 ±6.56 and 1.98 ± 0.13 vs. 0.31 ± 0.05, respectively). Although the EBC concentration of H2O2 in patients with pneumonia co-existing with lung cancer was higher than that in CAP patients (0.96 ± 0.16 vs. 0.66 ± 0.09), the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). In CAP patients, however, we observed significantly higher serum concentrations of both cytokines compared to patients with pneumonia co-existing with lung cancer (VEGF: 1112.62 ± 244.38 vs. 392.9 ± 78.2; TNF-a: 2.6 ± 0.48 vs. 1.6 ± 0.2). Conclusions: Patients with pneumonia co-existing with lung cancer show a distinct tendency towards local oxidative stress and a significantly increased local response compared to CAP patients. On the other hand, systemic inflammation in patients with pneumonia co-existing with lung cancer is markedly reduced compared to patients with CAP