The Clinical Significance of DJ1 and L1CAM Serum Level Monitoring in Patients with Endometrial Cancer.

Marketa Bednarikova,Jitka Hausnerova,Jana Gottwaldova,Zdenka Cermakova,Petra Vinklerova,Michal Felsinger,Petra Ovesna,Dalibor Valik,Vit Weinberger,Lubos Minar

doi:10.3390/jcm10122640

Marketa Bednarikova, Jitka Hausnerova + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10122640

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Abstract

Circulating tumor markers are not routinely used in patients with endometrial cancer (EC). This pilot study evaluated the role of monitoring new biomarkers DJ1 and L1CAM, in correlation with CA125 and HE4, for the effects of anticancer treatment and preoperative management in EC patients. Serial serum levels of DJ1, L1CAM, CA125 and HE4 were collected in 65 enrolled patients. Serum DJ1, L1CAM, CA125 and HE4 levels were significantly higher at the time of diagnosis compared to those measured during follow-up (FU). In patients with recurrent disease, serum DJ1, CA125 and HE4 levels were significantly higher at the time of recurrence compared to levels in disease-free patients. Serum L1CAM levels were also higher in patients with recurrence but without reaching statistical significance. While DJ1 levels were not affected by any of the observed patient-related characteristics, L1CAM levels were significantly higher in patients with age ≥60 years who were overweight. At the time of EC diagnosis, DJ1 and L1CAM serum levels did not correlate with stage, histological type or risk of recurrence. This is a preliminary description of the potential of serial DJ1 and L1CAM serum level measurement for monitoring the effects of treatment in EC patients.

Highlights

The primary clinical use of circulating tumor markers determined in peripheral blood consists of monitoring the course of disease
The aim of our study was to evaluate whether time-dependent changes of serial serum measurements of DJ1, L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM), CA125 and HE4 in endometrial cancer (EC) patients correlated with the course of the disease and whether elevated levels at the follow-up signalized recurrence
We demonstrated that DJ1 and L1CAM serum levels were significantly higher at the time of EC

Summary

Introduction

The primary clinical use of circulating tumor markers determined in peripheral blood consists of monitoring the course of disease. An increase in serum levels often precedes the clinical manifestation of disease recurrence, and dynamic changes in their levels over time are used to monitor the effects of anticancer treatments. Circulating markers are not very suitable for cancer screening or primary diagnosis and do not play a significant role in determining the extent of the disease or prognosis, respectively [1,2]. While Sood et al and Reijnen et al described an association between preoperatively elevated CA125 levels and poor outcomes in EC patients [4,5], other studies did not confirm the correlation between CA125 serum levels and extent of disease at the time of diagnosis [6,7]

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