endothelin-1 and Asbestosis

In the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma (MM) there still is a lack of specific and sensitive screening biomarkers: this study examined the discriminatory power of a panel of serum/plasma biomarkers.. The study involved four groups: (a) individuals previously exposed to asbestos with asbestosis; (b) patients with MM; (c) patients with non-small cell lung cancer; and (d) controls without any evidence of malignancy. The concentrations of mesothelin, chitinase-3-like-1 (YKL-40), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelin-1, interleukin-8 (IL-8) and fibulin-3 in the serum of patients were determined.. Patients with MM had significantly higher serum levels of mesothelin (p<0.001), YKL-40 (p<0.001), IL-8 (p<0.001) and VEGF (p<0.01) than controls. The cut-off point for MM was 1.26 nM for mesothelin alone, and 167 pg/ml for YKL-40 alone; the presence of both markers above these cut-off levels improved diagnostic specificity.. The addition of YKL-40 may improve the specificity of mesothelin measurements alone for detecting patients with MM.

Topics: Adipokines; Aged; Asbestosis; Biomarkers, Tumor; Case-Control Studies; Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; Cross-Sectional Studies; Endothelin-1; Female; GPI-Linked Proteins; Humans; Interleukin-8; Lectins; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Mesothelin; Mesothelioma; Middle Aged; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A