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Detection of a Circulating MicroRNA Custom Panel in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Published on: March 14, 2019
Growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) as new potential serum marker in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
Michal Vocka1, Daniel Langer2, Vladimir Fryba3
1Department of Oncology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague 2, 128 08, Czech Republic.
Background:
GDF-15 is a protein belonging to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily that has a role in regulating inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. High level GDF-15 in tumor tissues and plasma correlate with an increased risk of recurrence and reduced overall survival.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to screen GDF-15 capacity to detecting metastatic CRC and compare it with standard tumor markers CEA and CA19-9.
Methods:
We collected serum samples from 97 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and 79 samples from healthy controls. Serum levels of GDF-15, CEA and CA19-9 were measured by immunochemically. A Kaplan-Meier curve was applied for analysis of survival rates, and a log-rank was used for univariate analysis.
Results:
Serum levels of GDF-15 were significantly higher in patients with colorectal cancer compared to healthy controls (p< 0.001). In addition, serum levels of GDF-15 correlated with extent of liver involvement and patients with higher GDF-15 levels had significantly worse outcome (p< 0.0001).
Conclusions:
Our results show GDF-15 as an effective biomarker in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with the same sensitivity as CEA. In addition, GDF-15 levels strongly correlate with extension of liver involvement in contrast with CEA.
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