title: Elevated serum thymidine kinase 1 predicts risk of pre/early cancerous progression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serological thymidine kinase 1 (STK1) is a reliable proliferation marker for prognosis, monitoring tumour therapy, relapse and detection of malignancies. In this study we investigate the use of STK1 in health screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  The concentration of STK1 was determined by a sensitive dot blot ECL assay in 8,135 persons participating in a health screening program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of persons with elevated STK1 (<2.0 pM) was 1.1%, representing diseases linked to pre/early cancerous progression. One person with malignancy (gastric carcinoma) was found among persons with elevated STK1, but none of persons with normal STK1 values. There was a significantly higher frequency of persons with moderate/severe type of hyperplasia of breast and prostate expressing elevated STK1, compared to persons with normal STK1 values. No significant difference was found concerning mild hyperplasia. Of persons with elevated STK1, 89.2% had diseases linked to risk for pre/early cancerous progression, compared to 41.2% of persons with normal STK1 values. Among the persons with elevated STK1 values, one developed liver carcinoma after 13 months and five persons showed progression in their disease within 19 months (breast and prostate hyperplasia, HBV infection).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serological TK1 may be a reliable marker for risk assessment of pre/early cancerous progression.
authors.affiliation: Healthy Centre of the Affiliated Second Hospital, Fujian Chinese Tradition Medicine University, Fuzhu, China.
authors.forename: Shouqing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jianzh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Skog
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D013937:Thymidine Kinase; C092717:thymidine kinase 1