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Published on: April 29, 2014
Decreased preoperative serum fibulin-3 levels in colon cancer patients
1Department of General Surgery, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. akocael147@yahoo.com.
Objective:
Fibulin-3 is known to play a role in tumor cell malignancy, invasion and metastasis, as well as in the clinical progression of tumors. This study aimed to assess serum fibulin-3 levels in patients with colon cancer compared with healthy controls and its relationship to demographics and tumor pathology.
Patients And Methods:
A total of 80 patients (mean age, 58.99 years; 42% males) with colon cancer and 50 controls (mean age, 57.75; 55% males) were included. Serum levels of fibulin-3 were determined using a commercially available sandwich ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay).
Results:
Preoperative serum fibulin-3 levels were significantly lower in the group of patients with colon cancer (mean, 35.91 ng/mL; range, 10-73 ng/mL) compared with the control group (mean, 96.68 ng/mL; range, 57-168 ng/mL).
Conclusions:
It was concluded that fibulin-3 is expressed at a lower level in colon cancer, and it can serve as a marker for advanced colon cancer.
