Serum midkine levels are increased in patients with various types of carcinomas.
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.
Ikematsu
S
S
Meiji Cell Technology Center, 540 Naruda, Odawara, 250-0862, Japan.
Yano
A
A
Aridome
K
K
Kikuchi
M
M
Kumai
H
H
Nagano
H
H
Okamoto
K
K
Oda
M
M
Sakuma
S
S
Aikou
T
T
Muramatsu
H
H
Kadomatsu
K
K
Muramatsu
T
T
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*
D000906:Antibodies; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D000078792:Midkine