Soluble E-cadherin is a valid prognostic marker in gastric carcinoma.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Gastric cancer remains a major cause of cancer mortality globally but no good prognostic tumour marker is available. Soluble fragment of E-cadherin protein has been reported to increase in the sera of patients with cancer and recently was found to be elevated in 67% of patients with gastric cancer.

AIMS:

To investigate if serum soluble E-cadherin is a valid prognostic marker in gastric cancer.

METHODS:

Concentrations of soluble E-cadherin from 116 patients with histologically confirmed gastric adenocarcinoma and 40 healthy subjects were measured using an immunoenzymometric method with a commercially available sandwich ELISA kit based on monoclonal antibodies.

RESULTS:

The logarithm of the means of soluble E-cadherin concentration was significantly higher in patients with gastric cancers (mean 3.85 (SD 0.28)) than in healthy subjects (3.71 (0.18)) (p=0.001), and in palliative/conservatively treated cancers (3.91 (0.35)) than in operable cancers (3.78 (0.19)) (p=0.015). The logarithm of the concentrations correlated with tumour size (p=0.032) and carcinoembryonic antigen concentrations (p=0.001). The cut off value calculated from discriminant analysis on operability and inoperability/palliative treatment was 7025 ng/ml. Soluble E-cadherin concentrations higher than this cut off value predicted tumour (T4) depth invasion (p=0.020, confidence interval (CI) 1.008-1.668) and palliative/conservative treatment (p=0.023, CI 1.038-2.514). In contrast, the relative risks for lymph node (N2) metastasis, distant metastasis, and stage III/IV disease were 1.41, 1.33, and 1.55 respectively, despite not reaching statistical significance.

CONCLUSION:

Serum soluble E-cadherin is a potential valid prognostic marker for gastric cancer. A high concentration predicts palliative/conservative treatment and T4 invasion.

• Authors: A O Chan, S K Lam, K M Chu, C M Lam, E Kwok, S Y Leung, S T Yuen, S Y Law, W M Hui, K C Lai, C Y Wong, H C Hu, C L Lai, J Wong
• Journal: Gut (Gut) Vol. 48 Issue 6 Pg. 808-11 (Jun 2001) ISSN: 0017-5749 [Print] England
• PMID: 11358900 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Cadherins
• Carcinoembryonic Antigen

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (blood, diagnosis)
• Adult
• Aged
• Antibodies, Monoclonal (blood)
• Biomarkers, Tumor (blood)
• Cadherins (blood)
• Carcinoembryonic Antigen (blood)
• Case-Control Studies
• Confidence Intervals
• Discriminant Analysis
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Staging (methods)
• Normal Distribution
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Prognosis
• Stomach Neoplasms (blood, diagnosis)