Role and clinical significance of Tfh cell associated factor CXCL-13 in the pathogenesis of small cell lung cancer

Objective To detect expression levels of follicular helper T cells (follicular helper T cells, Tfh) chemokine C-X-C motif ligand-13 (CXCL-13) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients and healthy human peripheral blood, to investigate the interaction between Tfh cells chemokine CXCL-13 and SCLC in the pathogenesis and progression. Methods It was randomly collected that the clinical data and peripheral blood samples of 28 cases of SCLC patients (SCLC group) and 38 healthy people (control group), Tfh cell chemokine CXCL-13 was detected by ELISA assay in peripheral blood, combined with clinical data, according to gender, age, smoking status and tumor stage subgroup analysis, clear the relationship between the related factors and SCLC. Results SCLC group CXCL-13 (55.36±5.293) ng/L was significantly higher than the control group (28.71±2.671 ng/L), P<0.0001; in the SCLC group, age, sex and smoking history differences on the expression of CXCL-13 had no significant difference: male(53.52 ± 5.759) ng/L, female (64.59 ± 14.08) ng/L, P=0.4995; aged <55 years old (50.08±6.945)ng/L, aged≥55 years old (58.01±7.184)ng/L, P=0.4347; smoking<200 years (62.59±8.975)ng/L, smoking≥200 years (68.09±4.128)ng/L, P=0.5854. And in contrast to the SCLC group and the control group, the influencing factors on CXCL-13 expression were female (9.976±1.534, 64.59±14.08 ng/L, P=0.0028), male (31.07±3.778 ng/L, 53.52±5.759 ng/L, P=0.0023); age<55 (27.77±2.987 ng/L, 50.08±6.945 ng/L, P=0.0121), aged≥55 years old (31.75±6.096 ng/L, 58.01±7.184 ng/L, P=0.01); smoking<200 years (28.15±2.723 ng/L, 62.59±8.975 ng/L, P=0.0028); smoking≥200 years (28.86±7.312 ng/L, 68.09±4.128 ng/L, P=0.0005). In the SCLC group, the expression of CXCL-13 in different tumor stage had significant difference(31.07±2.37 ng/L, 57.18±5.919 ng/L, P=0.0003). Conclusions The expression level of CXCL-13 in patients with SCLC in peripheral blood were significantly different from those of the healthy control group, and gender, age, smoking status are closely related, and the later stage of tumor patients, the CXCL-13 expression level is higher. CXCL-13, as a chemokine of Tfh, has potential clinical significance in early diagnosis and prognosis of SCLC. Key words: Small cell lung cancer; CXCL-13; Tfh; Clinical significance