Abstract

It is aimed to investigate the prevelance of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in bronchial lavage and blood samples of patients with lung cancer and the relationship between hMPV and lung cancer. Seventy patients with lung cancer and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. Bronchial lavage from patients with lung cancer and blood samples from patients with lung cancer and healthy controls were investigated for presence of hMPV with PCR. The mean age of 65 (93%) male and 5 (7%) female cases was 61.44±9.65 (44-81) in lung cancer patients. In control group the mean age of 20 (67%) male and 10 (33%) female cases was 51 (40-55). There were 54 (77%) nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NCCLC) and 16 (23%) small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). Nine (54%) patients with SCLC were staged as limited disease. Diagnosis of patients with NSCLC were 22 (41%) squamous cell carcinoma, 14 (26%) adenocarcinoma, 2 (4%) others. In 16 (29%) patients, histological type of the cancer was not identified. The number of patients with NSCLC was 2 (4%) in stage I, 1 (1%) in stage II, 2 (4%) in stage IIIA, 27 (50%) in stage IIIB, and 16 (30%) in stage IV. hMPV was not found in bronchial lavage and blood samples in patients with lung cancer and blood samples in controls with PCR method. Although it is estimated that the study population is at risk for hMPV presence because of old age, immune deficiency and smoking, no relationship between hMPV and lung cancer was observed. This may be a result of the small number of study population, absence of symptoms or methodological problems.