title: Serum markers as predictors of esophageal squamous dysplasia and early cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Squamous dysplasia is the precursor lesion for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). A primary screening test for ESCC which identified this lesion could lead to a reduction in disease-specific mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a population-based screening study in Linzhou, China. All subjects provided blood samples and underwent endoscopy with Lugol's iodine staining and biopsy. We selected a subset of 84 subjects stratified on worst squamous histologic diagnosis in six categories and measured the serum concentrations of potential markers using commercially available ELISA tests for matrix metalloprotease-9, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloprotease-1, copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, anti-p53 auto-antibodies, and soluble serum interleukin-2 receptor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum matrix metalloprotease-9 concentration was significantly different by esophageal squamous dysplasia status with a median (interquartile range) for subjects without dysplasia of 150 ng/ml (80-225) and subjects with dysplasia/early cancer of 97 ng/ml (58-155), p=0.033), but the maximum sensitivity and specificity were low. The serum concentrations of the other markers tested showed no significant differences by category of worst histologic diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum matrix metalloprotease-9 concentration could contribute to a primary screening test for an ESCC, but is insufficient alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Cancer Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Christian C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Abnet
authors.forename: Wen-Qiang
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Qin-Jing
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Xian-Mao
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Sanford M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dawsey
authors.forename: You-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Qiao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000097:blood*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000097:blood; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001798:Blood Proteins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9