TSPAN8 and LGALS4 combination as blood biomarkers for colorectal cancer detection

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world and it is a determinant cause of mortality. A significant survival rate is achieved if the disease is detected at an early stage, thus screening represents an important cancer-control tool. Recently we unveiled a panel of mRNAs, which if isolated in whole blood represent an efficient screening test for colorectal cancer. These mRNA molecules as a biomarker in blood by qRT-PCR assay offer a test with high sensitivity and specificity for clinical diagnostics. The expression of 4 genes: TSPAN8, LGALS4, COL1A2 and CEACAM6 proved to be statistically different between patients and healthy controls. The diagnostic accuracy, in terms of specificity and sensitivity of the TSPAN8 and LGALS4 combination, displayed a sensitivity of 92.5% and a specificity of 67.2%. Our preliminary study was validated on a cohort of 134 subjects and it showed promising results for a prognostic test of blood screening. Nevertheless, it needs to be validated in a larger cohort with stage stratification and in patients with other gastrointestinal diseases.