Objective: To evaluate the application of membrane lipid fluidity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in differential diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer.
Method: Fluorescence-labeling (DPH) technique was used for detection of membrane fluidity, while biological illumination method for dectection of SOD.
Result: The membrane lipid fluidity of lymphocytes obtained from broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in the pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer patients, and the membrane lipid fluidity of carcinoma cells in lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cancer patients were found to be 4.026 +/- 0.722, 38.254 +/- 0.100, 22.557 +/- 3.771 and 32.875 +/- 9.709 respectively, and statistically significant difference was found between pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer patients. The contents of SOD were 170.7 mg/L in the pulmonary tuberculosis and 65.4 mg/L in the lung cancer patients, and statistically significant difference was also found between the two groups. The contents of SOD in the mild, moderate and severe tuberculosis patients were 270.8 +/- 4.1 mg/L, 160.2 +/- 1.9 mg/L and 90.4 +/- 1.6 mg/L respectively, and SOD contents decreased with deterioration of clinical status.
Conclusion: The membrane lipid fluidity and SOD might be useful biological markers for differential diagnosis between pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer.