Biomarkers are one of the most important tools for early diagnosis of mesothelioma
(04/15/2011)Biomarkers are one of the most important tools for early diagnosis of mesothelioma. Although this type of cancer is often not detected until its later stages, new screening tests for the presence of these proteins in the samples of a patient’s blood or tissue to detect mesothelioma.
To assess the diagnostic accuracy of these tests, an Australian study explores the sensitivity of two blood-based biomarker, mesothelin and osteopontin in the blood serum and plasma samples from 176 patients. The results showed that plasma samples provide a more accurate biomarker reading the blood serum samples taken from the same patient.
To measure the sensitivity of the contents of biomarkers in serum levels of blood and plasma, researchers at the National Research Center for asbestos-related diseases at the University of Western Australia examined blood samples from 176 patients, either with malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer or other benign pleural or lung disease. They then analyzed the samples for the presence of two substances: soluble mesothelin related protein (SMRP) and osteopontin.
During the study, both biomarkers were significantly higher in patients with mesothelioma compared with those with benign lung or pleural disease. Mesothelin levels in both blood serum and plasma were able to identify mesothelioma with a sensitivity of 67 percent. Osteopontin in the plasma produced 40 percent sensitivity, while analyzing blood serum samples for the biomarker itself only indicates malignant mesothelioma with a sensitivity of 20 percent.
These results indicate that the type of blood sample chosen for analysis has an incalculable effect on the detection of mesothelin, however, the evaluation of osteopontin plasma was a more reliable source of serum biomarkers. A combination of serum mesothelin and osteopontin plasma was also analyzed, but showed no significant increase in diagnostic accuracy.
In similar studies of mesothelioma, changes in SMRP levels have been shown to correspond with the clinical progression of cancer. Osteopontin levels are also typically higher in patients with mesothelioma at the time of diagnosis. This knowledge has been applied to testing, such as MESOMARK, which can increase the rate of early diagnosis in people at high risk of asbestos-related disease, but have not yet developed any symptoms.
