title: Serum midkine levels are increased in patients with various types of carcinomas.
abstract: The level of expression of midkine (MK), a heparin-binding growth factor, is increased in many types of human carcinomas. An enzyme-linked immunoassay, which utilizes a combination of rabbit and chicken antibodies revealed that serum MK level in the controls (n = 135) was 0.154 +/- 0.076 (mean +/- SD) ng ml(-1)with an apparent cut-off value as 0.5 ng ml(-1). Serum MK level was significantly elevated in the cancer patients (n = 150) (P< 0.001); 87% of the patients showed levels of more than 0.5 ng ml(-1). All ten types of cancer examined showed a similar profile of serum MK level. There was no or weak correlation between C-reactive protein level, a marker of inflammation, and serum MK level. Furthermore, in case of gastric carcinoma and lung carcinoma, patients with stage I carcinoma already showed elevated serum MK levels. The present results indicated that serum MK could serve as a general tumour marker with a good potential for clinical application.
authors.affiliation: Meiji Cell Technology Center, 540 Naruda, Odawara, 250-0862, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikematsu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aridome
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagano
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aikou
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kadomatsu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000097:blood*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D002645:Chickens; D016207:Cytokines; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000078792:Midkine; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D011817:Rabbits; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D000078792:Midkine