Prediction of differentiation levels in lung adenocarcinoma using peripheral blood inflammatory cytokines and tumor markers

Yang Li, Jiahuan Wu, Meiling Long, Tingting Zeng, Depeng Jiang

Abstract

Lung Adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has highly aggressive and lethal, and its degree of differentiation significantly influences prognosis and treatment strategies, yet accurate prediction remains challenging. To assess the predictive value of combining peripheral blood inflammatory markers.

Introduction

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality globally, posing a serious threat to human health. According to global cancer statistics (GLOBOCAN), approximately 2.2 million new lung cancer cases and 1.8 million related deaths occurred in 2020 [1].

Materials and methods

This retrospective study included 203 lung adenocarcinoma patients consecutively admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from June 1, 2022, to July 30, 2024. Data were accessed between December 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025.

Results

The study retrospectively analyzed 203 patients with lung adenocarcinoma, including 109 men (53.69%) and 94 women (46.31%). Most patients did not report smoking or drinking habits, and a minority had chronic conditions such as diabetes (18 patients, 8.87%), hypertension (54 patients, 26.6%), and coronary heart disease (10 patients, 4.93%).

Discussion

This study demonstrated that peripheral blood biomarkers and tumor biomarkers were closely associated with pathological differentiation in LUAD. By integrating these markers, we developed a predictive model with an AUC of 0.795 (95%CI: 0.726–0.864), outperforming traditional indices such as SIRI (AUC:0.625) and LDH (AUC:0.596).

Conclusions

This study suggested that inflammatory factors may serve as potential predictors for the differentiation of LUAD. By integrating inflammatory and tumor biomarkers, our predictive model effectively assessed pathological differentiation, aided in personalized treatment planning, and offered a reliable foundation for clinical decisions.

Citation: Li Y, Wu J, Long M, Zeng T, Jiang D (2026) Prediction of differentiation levels in lung adenocarcinoma using peripheral blood inflammatory cytokines and tumor markers. PLoS One 21(1): e0339414. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0339414

Editor: Zhiling Yu, Hong Kong Baptist University, HONG KONG

Received: March 20, 2025; Accepted: December 4, 2025; Published: January 8, 2026

Copyright: © 2026 Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. If you need to further verify the authenticity of the data, you can contact the Ethics and Morality Committee via email (chongerlcyj@163.com).

Funding: This study was funded by Chongqing Natural Science Foundation (CSTB2022NSCQ-MSX0127).

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.