title: A novel screening biomarker in gastric cancer: serum Dickkopf-1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite all the knowledge about gastric cancer, there is no prognostic biomarker which could be useful for early detection. Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), a secreted protein, is known as a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway. DKK-1 is reported to be over expressed in many malignant tissues. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the normal level of serum DKK-1 (sDKK-1) levels in healthy Turkish peoples and to investigate the clinical utility of sDKK-1 levels for gastric cancer screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum DKK-1 levels were measured in 69 healthy controls and in 60 gastric adenocarcinoma patients with ELISA and sDKK-1 levels were compared with clinicopathological features and outcomes in gastric cancer patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum concentrations of DKK-1 in gastric adeno cancer patients were significantly higher than control patients (p<0.001). The optimal cut-off for sDKK-1 levels order to discriminate control group from gastric cancer patients was 25U/mL with sensitivity equal to 100% and specificity equal to 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum DKK-1 levels may be a potentially useful novel serologic marker for gastric cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Education and Research Hospital, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gomceli
authors.forename: Erdal B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Bostanci
authors.forename: Ilter
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: Ahu S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kemik
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Turhan
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tez
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Baris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Demiriz
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akoglu
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D019540:Area Under Curve; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012372:ROC Curve; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C501126:DKK1 protein, human; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins