Soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) in small cell lung carcinoma.

sIL-2R and NSE were measured in 24 patients with small cel carcinoma (SCC) of the lung, in 25 patients with non small cell carcinoma (NSCC) and in 20 controls matched for age, sex and smoking habits. Significantly elevated values of sIL-2R and NSE were found in the SCC group (mean±SEM: 2103±314.4 U/ml and 44.5±7.3 ng/ml respectively), compared to those in the NSCC group (1079±104.5 U/ml and 3.64±0.8 ng/ml, p<10 -7 respectively) and to controls (561±44.6 U/ml and 1.7±0.3 ng/ml p<10 - 5)