title: Clinical significance of serum expression of GROβ in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association between serum levels of growth-related gene product β (GROβ) and clinical parameters in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, serum GROβ levels were measured in ESCC patients (n = 72) and healthy volunteers (n = 83). The association between serum levels of GROβ and clinical parameters of ESCC was analyzed statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum GROβ levels were much higher in ESCC patients than in healthy controls (median: 645 ng/L vs 269 ng/L, P < 0.05). Serum GROβ levels were correlated positively with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging, but not with gender or the histological grade of tumors in ESCC patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay for serum GROβ were 73.61% and 56.63%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GROβ may function as an oncogene product and contribute to tumorigenesis and metastasis of ESCC.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
authors.forename: Qiao-Mei
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Jin-Qiang
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jacqueline C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bracher
authors.forename: Denver T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Hendricks
authors.forename: Xiao-Hang
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D054426:Chemokine CXCL2 / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009857:Oncogenes; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C499706:CXCL2 protein, human; D054426:Chemokine CXCL2