The Effects of Serum hs-CRP on the Incidence of Lung Cancer in Male Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: This study intended to investigate the effects of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) on the incidence of lung cancer in male patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: A total of 1091 male patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, China from Jan 2009 to Jan 2012 were selected as the research objects. All patients were followed up from the beginning of hospitalization. According to serum hs-CRP level, patients were divided into two groups: group A (hs-CRP < 1 mg/L) and group B (hs-CRP > 3 mg/L). The relationship between baseline hs-CRP and the risk of lung cancer in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was analyzed by multivariate Cox proportional risk regression model, and the serum levels of hs-CRP between lung cancer patients in all groups and other non-lung cancer patients were compared. RESULTS: There were differences in age, drinking, smoking, diabetes history, body mass index (BMI), thyroglobulin (TG), history of hypertension and hyperglycemia among the three groups (P=0.036, 0.018, 0.040, 0.029, 0.006, 0.034, 0.020, 0.010). The serum levels of hs-CRP in patients with squamous carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma were significantly higher than those in non-lung cancer patients (P=0.022, 0.043, 0.011). The incidence rates of lung cancer in patients in group B and C were 1.37 and 1.69 times higher than that in group A, respectively. CONCLUSION: The increased serum level of hs-CRP will increase the incidence rate of lung cancer in male patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.