Serum Endothelial Monocyte-Activating Polypeptide–II: A Novel Biomarker in Patients with Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUNDEndothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide-II (EMAP-II) is a proinflammatory cytokine with antiangiogenic properties. Serum EMAP-II levels have not been investigated previously in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between serum EMAP-II levels and clinicopathologic features, including prognosis, in patients with NSCLC.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe measured serum EMAP-II levels in 30 healthy control subjects and 48 patients with untreated NSCLC by enzyme linkedimmunosorbent assay.RESULTSPatients with NSCLC had significantly higher serum EMAP-II levels than did the control group (492 pg/mL ± 1126 pg/mL vs. 266 pg/mL ± 1013 pg/mL; P = .015). No significant association was found between serum EMAP-II levels and various clinicopathologic features (age, smoking history, performance status, histopathology, tumor stage, lymph node stage, or distant metastasis). Median survival time was 10.13 months (range, 2-53.8 months). The high–EMAP-II (≥ 100 pg/mL) group had a shorter survival compared with the low–EMAP-II (< 100 pg/mL) group (P = .023), and the serum EMAP-II level was still an important predictor of survival in a multivariate analysis, along with disease stage.CONCLUSIONOur results showed that serum EMAP-II levels are significantly higher in patients with NSCLC than in healthy subjects and suggest it is of potential prognostic value.