SCCA and CYFRA 21-1 Reference Intervals for Apparently Healthy Chinese Adults: a Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Area of Science:

• Clinical chemistry
• Biomarker analysis
• Cancer screening

Background:

• Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) and cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1) are routinely used biomarkers in China.
• Understanding their reference intervals is vital for accurate health assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish reference intervals for SCCA and CYFRA 21-1 in a Chinese adult population.
• To investigate the impact of age, gender, and benign nodules on these biomarker levels.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study of 1,017 apparently healthy adults.
• Serum SCCA and CYFRA 21-1 levels measured via electrochemiluminescence immunoassays.
• Age- and gender-specific reference intervals determined using 0-95th percentiles with 90% confidence intervals.

Main Results:

• Biomarker levels were significantly lower in females.
• Age showed a negative association with SCCA and a positive association with CYFRA 21-1 (p < 0.0001).
• No significant differences were found based on the presence of benign nodules.

Conclusions:

• Established reference intervals for SCCA and CYFRA 21-1 can be applied to routine medical check-ups in China.
• These reference intervals support lung cancer screening initiatives.