Utility and specificity of plasma heat shock protein 90 alpha, CEA, and CA199 as the diagnostic test in colorectal cancer liver metastasis

Abstract

Background: Plasma heat shock protein 90 alpha (Hsp90α) has been suggested as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen199 (CA199) are traditional tumor biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC). Previous studies have shown that Hsp90α and the combination of Hsp90α and CEA are optimal biomarkers for CRC at an early stage. However, research on the use of Hsp90α alone or in combination with CEA and/or CA199 in diagnosing CRC development, particularly liver metastasis, is limited. This study sought to investigate the value of Hsp90α alone or in combination with CEA/CA199 in diagnosing CRC liver metastasis. Methods:The clinical data of 472 CRC patients were retrospectively analyzed, which were confirmed by clinical manifestations and a histopathological examination associated with an imaging diagnosis.The levels of Hsp90α, and CEA, and CA199 were assessed by enzyme-linked immunoassays and electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. Liver metastasis was diagnosed by imaging or pathology of the liver. Logistic regression models were used to analyze associations between Hsp90α, CEA, and CA199, and liver metastasis in CRC. The areas under the curves (AUCs) were used to compare the utility of Hsp90α, CEA, and CA199 in the diagnosis of CRC liver metastasis (CRLM). Additionally, we compared the diagnostic utility of the models, including the Hsp90α plus 1 of the other serum markers, and a combination of the 3 serum makers. Results:The plasma levels of Hsp90α, CEA, and CA199 were positively associated with a higher risk of CRLM [odds ratios (OR) ranging from 1.36-2.72]. The AUCs of CEA, CA199, and Hsp90α for CRLM were 0.80, 0.69, and 0.55, respectively. The AUCs for the combination of Hsp90α and CEA, combination of Hsp90α and CA199, combinations of Hsp90α, CEA, and CA199 were 0.75, 0.66, 0.76, respectively. The combination of Hsp90α, CEA, and CA199 did not improve the diagnostic utility for liver metastasis in CRC. Conclusions:The level of Hsp90α was elevated in CRC and was associated with CRLM. Thus, the Hsp90α is a potential biomarker for CRLM. CEA has the largest diagnostic utility for CRLM. Adding Hsp90α to CEA/CA199 did not improve their diagnostic utility for CRLM.^ ORCID: 0000-0002-6940-7277.

Evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of heat shock proteins and their combination with Alpha-Fetoprotein in the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis

“…HSPs are ubiquitously present in biological cells [9]. Oncoproteins often rely on elevated levels of HSPs to sustain their functionality, with tumor cells exhibiting notably higher levels of HSPs compared to their normal counterparts in a range of cancers such as lung, colorectal, prostate cancers, and HCC [44][45][46][47][48]. Extensive research has been conducted in recent decades to elucidate the relationship between HSPs and tumor occurrence and progression, mainly focusing on HSP27, HSP70, and HSP90 in HCC [49][50][51][52][53][54][55].…”

Metabolomics analysis of amino acid and fatty acids in colorectal cancer patients based on tandem mass spectrometry

“…( 11 ) However, most early-staged CRC patients are asymptomatic and not easy to detect. ( 12 ) The accurate diagnosis of different stages of CRC will help to survive CRC, which offers opportunities for early detection and effective treatment.…”