Plasma CRABP2 as a Novel Biomarker in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science 2018, 33(26), , pp.1-9
• Main Authors: Kim, Do Jun, Kim, Woo Jin, Lim, Myoungnam, Hong, Yoonki, Lee, Seung-Joon, Hong, Seok-Ho, Heo, Jeongwon, Lee, Hui-Young, Han, Seon-Sook
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Prognosis; Receptors, Retinoic Acid - blood; Republic of Korea; Survival Rate; 의학일반
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e178

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. We previously reported the identification of a new genetic marker, cellular retinoic acid binding protein 2 (CRABP2), in lung cancer tissues. The aim of this study was to assess plasma levels of CRABP2 from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Blood samples that were collected from 122 patients with NSCLC between September 2009 and September 2013 were selected for the analysis, along with samples from age- (± 5 years), sex-, and cigarette smoking history (± 10 pack-years [PY])-matched controls from the Korea Biobank Network. The control specimens were from patients who were without malignancies or pulmonary diseases. We measured plasma levels of CRABP2 using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The mean age of the NSCLC patients was 71.8 ± 8.9 years, and the median cigarette smoking history was 32 PY (range, 0-150 PY). Plasma CRABP2 levels were significantly higher in patients with NSCLC than in the matched controls (37.63 ± 28.71 ng/mL vs. 24.09 ± 21.09 ng/mL, < 0.001). Higher plasma CRABP2 levels were also correlated with lower survival rates in NSCLC patients ( = 0.014). Plasma CRABP2 levels might be a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker in NSCLC.