Abstract 748: The small leucine-rich proteoglycan fibromodulin is a potential, novel serum and urinary biomarker for the detection of prostate cancer

Abstract

Abstract Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignant tumor diagnosed in males and the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The impact of this cancer in the population is due, in part, to the lack of satisfactory methods for early diagnosis and accurate prognosis, which results in delayed clinical treatment of patients. Effective therapy exists for early stages, but it is practically incurable in advanced stages. Therefore, new and better molecular biomarkers are urgently needed for the opportune diagnosis and adequate prediction of the clinical course of the disease. We have previously identified the small leucine-rich proteoglycan, fibromodulin, as a novel, potential tissue biomarker for prostate cancer. Fibromodulin is a secreted proteoglycan which can be detected in different body fluids, such as blood, urine, or prostatic secretions. The aim of the present study was to determine whether fibromodulin concentration in serum and/or urine is able to differentiate PCa patients from patients with benign disease. Methods: Serum and urine samples were collected from a cohort of patients newly diagnosed with PCa (n=44) or with other prostatic disorders (n=46). Samples were also obtained from a group of control healthy individuals within the same age range. The concentration of fibromodulin in the blood and urine samples was measured with a commercial ELISA kit. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of fibromodulin in serum and urine. This work was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Cartagena. Results: Both serum and urinary levels of fibromodulin were significantly higher in PCa patients compared to patients with benign disorders and healthy controls (p<0.05). Overall, urinary levels were higher than serum levels for each of the three groups. Conclusion: Our results support the potential of fibromodulin as a novel serum and urinary biomarker for PCa. Validation of these results requires prospective studies using a larger cohort of patients, as well as multicenter clinical trials, to define the real value of this protein as a biomarker for PCa. Keywords: Prostate cancer, fibromodulin, biomarkers, proteoglycan. Citation Format: Niradiz Reyes, Alfonso Bettin, Jan Geliebter. The small leucine-rich proteoglycan fibromodulin is a potential, novel serum and urinary biomarker for the detection of prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 748.