title: Evaluation of serum amyloid A as a biomarker for gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a useful biomarker for gastric cancer in an animal model. We investigated the potential of SAA as a biomarker for gastric cancer in humans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of SAA from 96 gastric cancer patients were measured before and after curative gastrectomy; 32 patients with gastric ulcers and 52 healthy subjects were the control groups. The immunohistochemical study was performed to evaluate the protein expression over gastric cancer tissue slides.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean SAA concentration was higher in gastric cancer patients (88.54 +/- 50.44 mg/l) than in healthy subjects (3.36 +/- 2.29 mg/l) and gastric ulcer patients (10.48 +/- 8.97 mg/l) (P < .05). The SAA concentration was associated with tumor stage (P = .0244) and location (P = .0016) but not with Lauren's histological type (P = .839). In the multivariate analysis, SAA level was correlated with tumor location (P < .0001) and lymph node status (P < .05). During follow-up, the mean SAA concentration increased significantly in 24 patients with tumor recurrence (P < .05) but did not change in 77 patients without recurrence. In the survival analysis, patients with SAA levels > 97 mg/l had a nearly fourfold increase in risk of death. Immunoreactivity was most prominent in blood vessel regions but not within cancer cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data not only demonstrated SAA was useful in predicting survival of patients with gastric cancer, but they also showed that SAA was a valuable tool for postoperative follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. chrischan1168@yahoo.com.tw
authors.forename: De-Chuan
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Cheng-Jueng
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Heng-Cheng
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Wei-Kuo
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jyh-Cherng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yu-Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Su-Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chih-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: Yao-Chi
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jenn-Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000097:blood; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein