Open AccessSerum midkine concentrations and gastric cancer
Author(s) -
Obata Yuki,
Kikuchi Shogo,
Lin Yingsong,
Yagyu Kiyoko,
Muramatsu Takashi,
Kumai Hideshi
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2005.00001.x
Subject(s) - midkine , cancer , gastroenterology , medicine , stage (stratigraphy) , endocrinology , growth factor , biology , paleontology , receptor
Midkine (MK) is one of a family of heparin‐binding growth factors, and increased MK expression is reported in various types of human carcinomas. To clarify the association between serum MK (S‐MK) concentrations and gastric cancer, we examined S‐MK concentrations of gastric cancer patients ( n = 275) and healthy controls ( n = 275). S‐MK concentrations of all subjects were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay ( elisa ). The medians (25th and 75th percentiles) of S‐MK were 192 (123 and 314) pg/mL in the cases and 170 (81 and 273) pg/mL in the controls ( P < 0.01). We also compared S‐MK concentrations in each group divided by the progression stage or histological type of cancer. A difference was observed in the median S‐MK concentrations between early and advanced cancers [182 (105 and 301) pg/mL vs 203 (139 and 331) pg/mL, P = 0.07], but not between intestinal and diffuse type cancers [185 (121 and 306) pg/mL vs 198 (127 and 323) pg/mL, P = 0.51]. We found that those progression stages affect S‐MK concentration more strongly than the histological types in gastric cancer patients. Because S‐MK seems to reflect the progression stage of gastric cancer, it may serve as a useful marker in the clinical follow‐up of gastric cancer patients. ( Cancer Sci 2005; 96: 54 –57)