Affiliation:
1. Translational Research Laboratory Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira (IMIP) Recife Brazil
2. Department of Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina Universidade Federal de São Paulo São Paulo City São Paulo Brazil
3. Research Clinical Department Hospital de Câncer de Pernambuco (HCP) Recife Brazil
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundThe immune system is recognized to have therapeutic potential to destroy cancer cells. Soluble T‐cell immunoglobulin mucin domain‐3 (sTIM‐3) and its ligand galectin 9 (Gal‐9) cause suppression of cytokine production, cell cycle arrest and cell death. sTIM‐3 and Gal‐9 levels may have prognostic implications in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.MethodsThis prospective cohort study was performed at Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Fifty‐eight patients were diagnosed with advanced NSCLC from January 2019 to January 2020.ResultsThe age median was of 64.0 years. Soluble galectin‐9 (sGal‐9) levels in the smokers compared to nonsmoker patients (p < 0.0001). By using the receiver operating characteristic curve, we found that a baseline of 1694 pg/mL (cutoff). sGAL9 with specificity (72.2%), sensitivity (83.2%) and area under the curve = 0.8497 (p < 0.0004). Until 18.2 months, 46.8% and 72.9% were alive in the sGAL9low and sGAL9high groups, respectively (log‐rank test; p = 0.02). The median survival was 15.9 months for sGAL9low (≤1694 pg/mL).ConclusionThis study indicated an association of tobacco with the release of circulating sGal‐9 levels and the accuracy of sGal‐9 as a potential biomarker predictive of survival time in advanced NSCLC patients. Furthermore, sGal‐9 has may be a potential therapeutic target in the advanced NSCLC.