Journal of Circulating Biomarkers最新文献

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global health challenge, with disproportionately high mortality rates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) are used for diagnostic purposes and for monitoring treatment results. The relationship between these markers, individually or in combination, with clinical presentation, metastatic patterns and survival outcomes has not been extensively researched.

Methods: In this South African retrospective study, we assess the association of the tumor marker levels on presentation, diagnosis, and prognosis. Data was analyzed using chi-square tests, t-tests, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

Results: The study included 501 patients, treated between 2010 and 2024. Elevated AFP levels were associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, hepatomegaly, and pulmonary metastases, while elevated CA19-9 levels were associated with more advanced liver disease. Survival analysis confirmed shorter survival for patients with elevated AFP and CA19-9 levels compared to normal levels (p < 0.001). Elevated CEA levels were not significantly associated with survival. Patients with no elevated markers (i.e., "triple-negative" for AFP, CEA, and CA19-9) had the longest survival, compared to those with multiple elevated markers (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: AFP and CA19-9 elevations were associated with more advanced disease and poorer survival outcomes. We emphasize the importance of integrating tumor marker levels with imaging and histopathology for a multimodal diagnostic approach. Further research is needed to validate these associations to better define the role of biomarkers in HCC management.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to conduct a comparative evaluation of systemic inflammatory markers in various forms of gallbladder inflammation in patients with acute calculous cholecystitis (ACC).

Methods: The article presents information about a scientific study conducted to study the content of peripheral blood leukocytes, taking into account the form of ACC in 116 patients. The patients were divided into two groups: Group I consisted of 53 patients with the catarrhal form of ACC, and Group II included 63 patients with the destructive forms (phlegmonous and gangrenous). Dynamic studies conducted before and after cholecystectomy in 116 patients showed that the level of leukocytes depended on the form of ACC.

Results: The cell indices evaluated in this study, such as lymphocyte neutrophil ratio (LNR), lymphocyte monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), present a more accessible and efficient alternative to assess systemic inflammation in clinical practice, especially in the context of acute cholecystitis.

Conclusion: Systemic inflammatory cell biomarkers, such as the LNR, LMR, NLR, MLR, LER , and SIRI, are significantly associated with the clinical forms of ACC and provide useful insights into the intensity of the inflammatory process in the gallbladder.

Introduction: Anti-centromere antibodies are associated with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) and a more favorable prognosis. The centromere HEp-2 pattern (AC-3) suggests the presence of antibodies against CENP antigens, mainly CENP-B/A. This study analyzed clinical and demographic associations of anti-centromere antibodies in a cohort of patients exclusively with the lcSSc form of SSc. The frequency of CENP-B and CENP-A reactivity in samples with the AC-3 pattern was also evaluated.

Method: Samples from 38 lcSSc patients with AC-3 were evaluated for reactivity to CENP-B/A using line-blot and ELISA. Clinical data from 68 lcSSc patients (20 AC-3 and 48 Non-AC-3) were analyzed.

Results: Of the AC-3 samples, 84% and 82% were reactive against CENP-B and CENP-A, respectively, by line-blot, and 92% were positive for CENP-B by ELISA. Concordance for CENP-B reactivity between ELISA and line-blot was 79%. Reactivity to both CENP-B and CENP-A was found in 68% of AC-3 samples, while one sample was positive only for CENP-A. Overall, 97% of AC-3 samples were reactive to CENP-B, and all were reactive to either CENP-B or CENP-A. Clinically, interstitial lung disease (ILD) was less frequent in AC-3 patients compared to Non-AC-3 (10.5% vs. 54.2%; p = 0.001). Other organ involvement frequencies were similar.

Conclusion: ILD was less frequent in lcSSc patients with a positive AC-3 pattern as compared to those with a non-AC-3 pattern, which could suggest a less severe prognosis. In addition, anti-CENP-B was the predominant autoantibody in samples yielding the AC-3 pattern, but anti-CENP-A reactivity was also prevalent, and exclusive anti-CENP-A reactivity was also observed.

Introduction: The triplet FOLFOXIRI (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan) may be considered an effective option in the neoadjuvant setting for metastatic colon cancer (mCRC). To investigate potential molecular criteria for treatment response, we evaluate the transcriptome of paired primary colon tumors and liver metastases.

Method: Two sets of quadruple-matched specimens (primary colon tumor, liver metastasis, normal colon and liver tissues) from five patients with resectable mCRC before and after neoadjuvant FOLFOXIRI were selected for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq).

Results: RNA-seq data showed that liver metastases exhibited a higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) than colon tumors (FDR < 0.05, 301 vs. 62, respectively). Up-regulation of IL1RN, MTCO1P12, RN7SL1, ALDH1A1, DUSP1, COX1, and FOS may be associated with colon tumor sensitivity to FOLFOXIRI. HBB, GADD45B, DUSP1, FOSB, HBA2, TSC22D3, TAGLN, PER1, CSRP1, CCN2, NAMPT, ZBTB16, SERPINE1, ISG20, SRGN, ATF3, IL7R, IFITM2, and KLF2 may potentially be involved in the partial liver metastasis response. EPS8L2 was the only gene highly expressed in pre-treatment liver tissue of the complete responder patient compared to others (|Log2FC| = 3.84, FDR < 0.05).

Conclusion: Data obtained indicate transcriptional discordance between the primary tumors and liver metastases during neoadjuvant FOLFOXIRI, with the pattern of DEGs involved in their response being distinct. The EPS8L2 transcript could be regarded as a candidate biomarker of liver complete response; however, prognostic conclusions cannot be drawn from this cohort.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.33393/jcb.2025.3564.].

Introduction: The coronavirus is a novel pandemic disease that began in Wuhan, China, and further spread globally. Therefore, the aim of this retrospective work was to look at the clinical characteristics and outcomes of diabetic and blood pressure patients compared with a healthy patient who was infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Methods: Data and outcomes were gathered from medical records and analyzed in 150 patients. The disease is frequently diagnosed via nucleic acid-based viral identification from swabs, sputum, or bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) using diagnostic reagents such as quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). COVID-19 chest radiographs were obtained, and clinical characteristics and outcomes were evaluated. In this study, we analyzed and compared the severity of the disease, its outcome, any associated complications, and clinical laboratory findings in COVID-19 patients between diabetic, hypertensive, and healthy individuals.

Results and conclusion: According to the findings, COVID-19 can cause a wide range of symptoms, which range from asymptomatic to severe respiratory problems and death. Diabetes appears to be one of the most significant comorbidities associated with a worse COVID-19 result. COVID-19 patients with diabetes (50 (33%) and hypertension (50 (33%)) had more ICU admissions compared with the non-diabetic and non-blood pressure patients (50 (33%)). During the treatment follow-up, 10 (6.6%) of the 150 patients passed away, 140 (93%) were released, 110 (73%) were discharged, and 30 (20%) kept in the hospital. Compared to non-diabetic and healthy COVID-19 patients, diabetic COVID-19 patients had a greater mortality rate.

Introduction: Blood biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis and prognosis of tumor. The present research was designed to study the diagnostic effect of serum biomarkers, namely carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3), and plasma biomarker viz., circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA); and their correlation with cytological and histopathological results.

Methods: A total of 60 blood samples were collected. Out of which 36 samples were from the dogs affected with canine mammary tumors, and 24 samples were from the apparently healthy dogs. CEA and CA15-3 were estimated using Sandwich ELISA, and cfDNA was estimated by the ccfDNA kit. A significant Positive correlation was observed between tumor blood biomarker levels, cytology and histopathological grades of the tumors.

Results: We found that CA15-3 can be a more effective serum tumour biomarker than CEA for diagnosing canine mammary gland tumours. This finding showed a positive correlation with the clinical grade of the disease. The concentration of serum markers and cfDNA in animals affected with malignant mammary gland tumours was higher compared to the benign entity of tumours and healthy control groups. The ROC curve analysis revealed that the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of CEA and CA15-3 biomarkers improved when used together. IN comparison to healthy controls, canines with both benign and malignant neoplasia showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) cfDNA concentrations.

Conclusion: This study highlights the role of blood tumor biomarkers for routine screening of animals in early diagnosis of tumors, further treatment, and prognosis.

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition and a major cause of hospital mortality worldwide. This study investigated the diagnostic utility of monocyte mean volume (MONO MEAN-V), monocyte distribution width (MDW), monocyte mean conductivity (MONO MEAN-C), and monocyte standard deviation conductivity (MONO Sd-C) for sepsis, compared to conventional markers.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in two centers, enrolling adult patients classified into three groups: sepsis, septic shock, and febrile. Blood was drawn from septic patients on days 1, 3, and 5 of admission. MDW and other inflammatory parameters were measured in all patients.

Results: Patients with sepsis or septic shock exhibited significantly elevated MONO MEAN-V, MDW, and MONO MEAN-C and lower MONO Sd-C compared to febrile patients. Among the biomarkers evaluated, MDW emerged as a reliable predictor of sepsis. A cut-off MDW value of 25.1 on day 1 demonstrated optimal diagnostic performance, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.77-0.91), sensitivity of 75%, and specificity of 91.2%.

Conclusions: MDW appears to be a cost-effective, rapid marker for sepsis detection, performing at least as effectively as existing biomarkers. Our findings corroborate other published studies, highlighting MDW's potential to enhance early sepsis recognition.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common inflammatory rheumatic disease, and it significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and death. The evaluation of cardiovascular risk (CVR) is crucial in these patients, but it may be underestimated using the current criteria, as they do not include nontraditional CVR factors. Soluble ST-2, which is the circulating form of the IL-33 receptor, has been identified as a biomarker for cardiovascular and rheumatic diseases. In this study, we examined the role of sST-2 in assessing CVR in RA.

Methods: Monocentric, retrospective, observational trial. Inclusion of RA patients on variable DMARD therapy. Analysis of RA disease using established scores (DAS 28, VAS, HFQ), clinical findings (number of swollen and painful joints), and laboratory investigation. Documentation of numerous CVR variables. Quantification of soluble sST-2 by ELISA.

Results: In total, 129 individuals were included. Soluble sST-2 did neither correlate nor was associated with any variable of RA disease activity. In contrast, significant associations were identified between sST-2 and a number of established CVR markers.

Conclusions: The data indicates a novel role for sST-2 in CVR prediction in RA.

Background: Systemic inflammation is crucial in cancer cachexia, but the optimal measurement method remains unclear. This study compares markers of systemic inflammation (MoSI) in predicting weight loss in patients with metastatic cancer.

Methods: This prospective, observational multi-center study involved patients undergoing radiotherapy for bone metastases. Baseline assessments included demographics, clinical characteristics, previous weight loss, and appetite loss. MoSI included: C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, white blood cells, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, interleukin-6 (IL-6), modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), and Prognostic Nutritional Index. Body weight was recorded at baseline, 3, and 8 weeks post-radiotherapy. Multiple linear regression assessed MoSI's predictive ability for weight loss, adjusting for previous weight loss, appetite loss, and primary tumour type. Goodness-of-fit was assessed using adjusted R².

Results: Out of 574 recruited patients, 540 and 470 were analyzed at 3 and 8 weeks, respectively. The median age (IQR) was 67 (15), 330 (61%) were male, and 397 (74%) had a Karnofsky performance status ≥70. In a base model without MoSI, significant predictors of weight loss at 3 weeks were appetite loss and urological, lung, and gastrointestinal cancer (adjusted R² of 0.064), while at 8 weeks, urological and lung cancer were significant (adjusted R² of 0.035). At 3 weeks, all MoSI significantly improved the base model, with adjusted R² between 0.078 and 0.091. At 8 weeks: CRP, mGPS, albumin and IL-6 improved the model; however only CRP and mGPS retained an adjusted R² of ~0.09.

Conclusions: All MoSI predicted weight loss, but CRP and mGPS were the most optimal.