J Korean Surg Soc.  1998 Dec;55(Suppl):985-990.

Clinical Significance of Cellular Fibronectin as a Tumor Marker in Gastric Cancer Patients

• Jung SJ
• Lee HI
• Park KH
• Joo DH
• Park SH
• Yoo YO
• Park KH
• Jun CH

Abstract

BACKGROUND
: Fibronectins (FNs) are adhesive glycoproteins that have variable primary structures owing to cell type-specific splicing of the FN precursor mRNA. FNs can be classified as plasma (p-FN) and cellular (c-FN) types, and c-FN may play a role as a marker of malignancies. CEA and CA 125 have been reported as useful tumor markers, but FNs have not studied adequately in gastric cancers.
METHODS
: We evaluated the clinical significance of urinary and plasma c-FN in thirty-five patients who were operated on our department due to gastric cancer from January 1997 to August 1997. The c-FN level was determined by enzyme immunoassay using a FIBRONECTIN EIA kit (Takara Shuzo Co., Kyoto, Japan).
RESULTS
: The levels of urine c-FN in gastric cancer patients (215.6 470.2) were higher than those in the control groups (94.1 63.0 ng/mgCr) and also showed a tendency to increase with advancing of tumor growth. A higher rate of increased urine c-FN also was identified in patients with distant metastasis than in patients without distant metastasis (6/8 vs. 10/27, p=0.05). However, p-FN didn't showed any differences according to extent of tumor invasion and/or presence of distant metastasis. Other parameters, such as age, sex, preoperative tumor size, and depth of invasion, were not correlated with urine and plasma c-FN.
CONCLUSIONS
: Urine c-FN may be useful as a new tumor marker in gastric cancer and can be helpful in early detection of metastasis and peritoneal seeding, but further studies and follow up are needed for complete clinical application.

Keyword

Gastric cancer; Fibronectin

MeSH Terms

Adhesives
Biomarkers, Tumor
Fibronectins*
Glycoproteins
Humans
Immunoenzyme Techniques
Neoplasm Metastasis
Plasma
RNA, Messenger
Stomach Neoplasms*
Adhesives
Fibronectins
Glycoproteins
RNA, Messenger