Levels of oncofetal proteins in pathological tissues of patients with gastric cancer

Abstract

Aim. Study of levels of CA-19.9, CA-125, CA-72.4 and He-4 in tissues of tumor, peritoneum and omentum in patients with gastric cancer T_3–4аN_0–3M₁ and T_3–4аN_0–3M₀.

Materials and methods. The study included 62 patients: 21 (10♂, 11♀) — gastric cancer T_3–4аN_0–3M₁ and peritoneal metastases; 24 (15♂, 9♀) — gastric cancer T_3–4аN_0–3M₀ without metastases; 17 (6♂, 11♀) — non-cancer patients (controls). Levels of oncofetal proteins were measured by ELISA in tissues of the peritoneum, greater omentum, and gastric tumors (GT).

Results. Levels of practically all studied factors were elevated in tissues of GT, omentum and peritoneum. Levels of He-4 and CA-19.9 in all tissues of patients with advanced cancer increased higher than in the majority of patients without metastases: in GT — respectively by 2.6 and 1.8 times (p<0.05), in the omentum — respectively by 24.4 and 4.8 times, in the peritoneum — respectively by 2.1 and 8.5 times. Omental tissues of patients with advanced cancer showed a higher increase in levels of CA-72.4 and CA-125 as well — by 6.1 and 2.1 times, respectively. A small number of patients with T_3–4аN_0–3M₀ gastric cancer, who had CA-19.9 in the omentum and peritoneum as high as in patients with T_3–4аN_0–3M₁, developed metastases in the corresponding tissues 4–6 months after the study.

Conclusion. The content of oncoprotein markers in tissues of the peritoneum and omentum is one of the factors associated with metastatic characteristics, and CA-19.9 level can serve as an informative laboratory test for the predictive assessment of the further disease development.