title: Plasma netrin-1 is a diagnostic biomarker of human cancers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The axon guidance cues netrin-1 is a secreted protein overexpressed in many different cancer tissues.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether plasma netrin-1 can be used as a diagnostic biomarker of human cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 300 cancer plasma samples from breast, renal, prostate, liver, meningioma, pituitary adenoma, glioblastoma, lung, pancreatic and colon cancer patients were compared against 138 control plasma samples. Netrin-1 levels were quantified by ELISA and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma netrin-1 levels were significantly increased in breast, renal, prostate, liver, meningioma, pituitary adenoma, and glioblastoma cancers as compared to control samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that plasma netrin-1 can be used as a diagnostic biomarker for many human cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine/Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA. gramesh@mcg.edu
authors.forename: Ganesan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Calpurnia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jayakumar
mesh_terms: D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D000075388:Netrin-1; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C000617351:NTN1 protein, human; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000075388:Netrin-1