Serum amyloid A (SAA) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) as the potential biomarkers for gastric cancer.

Abstract

To explore serum amyloid A (SAA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as potential diagnostic biomarkers for gastric cancer (GCa) and the application value of the combined diagnosis of SAA, IL6, and Cancer embryonic antigen. Serum samples were collected before the initial surgery from 159 patients comprising samples from 122 patients with GCa and 37 patients with benign gastric disease. All patients were hospitalized at Beijing Aerospace General Hospital in China between 2018 and 2020. The IL-6 and SAA levels were assessed using standard laboratory protocols. The levels of SAA and IL-6 were significantly higher in patients with GCa than in controls. Compared with the healthy group, the concentration of SAA and IL-6 in FIGO III-IV group were significantly higher and the difference were statistically significant. In addition, significant differences were observed between the FIGO III-IV group and FIGO I-II groups. The Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the combined detection of SAA, IL-6, and Cancer embryonic antigen showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.948, sensitivity of 91.0%, and specificity of 89.2%. Spearman's correlation analysis indicated obvious correlations among the levels of serum SAA, IL-6, advanced FIGO stage, lymphatic invasion, and distant metastasis. AA and IL-6 may serve as useful biomarkers for poor prognosis of GCa. Clinical diagnosis combined with SAA and IL-6 may help assess therapeutic outcomes.