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Serum diagnostic markers for malignant pleural mesothelioma: a narrative review
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China.
Background And Objective:
The prognosis of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is poor, and early diagnosis is key to improving the prognosis. Pleural biopsy is the gold reference for diagnosing MPM, but it is an invasive method that can cause operation-related complications such as bleeding and infection. Serum biomarkers, with the advantages of mini-invasiveness, short turnaround time and objectiveness, represent a promising diagnostic tool for MPM.
Methods:
We searched the PubMed database to identify clinical studies published between 1990 to July 2022 that investigated the diagnostic accuracy of serum biomarkers for MPM. The major findings of the verified studies were summarized.
Key Content And Findings:
Currently, there are many available serum markers for MPM, including mesothelin, soluble mesothelin-related peptides, osteopontin, fibulin-3, high mobility group box 1, and microRNA. Systematic review and meta-analysis evidence indicates that the sensitivity and specificity of these serum markers are less than 0.90. In addition, a large portion of previous studies have limitations, especially the representativeness of the study cohort.
Conclusions:
The diagnostic accuracy of currently available serum biomarkers is unsatisfactory, and further studies are needed to investigate novel serum biomarkers.
Insights
Early diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) improves prognosis. Current serum biomarkers show limited diagnostic accuracy, necessitating research into novel markers for better MPM detection.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biomarker Research
- Diagnostic Accuracy Studies
Background:
- Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has a poor prognosis, making early diagnosis critical.
- Pleural biopsy, the gold standard for MPM diagnosis, is invasive and carries risks.
- Serum biomarkers offer a less invasive, objective, and rapid alternative for MPM diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the diagnostic accuracy of serum biomarkers for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).
- To summarize findings from clinical studies published between 1990 and July 2022.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of the PubMed database.
- Inclusion of clinical studies investigating serum biomarker diagnostic accuracy for MPM.
- Summarization of major findings from verified studies.
Main Results:
- Several serum markers for MPM exist, including mesothelin and microRNA.
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses show sensitivities and specificities below 0.90 for these markers.
- Many prior studies are limited by cohort representativeness.
Conclusions:
- Current serum biomarkers for MPM lack satisfactory diagnostic accuracy.
- Further research is essential to identify and validate novel serum biomarkers for MPM.
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