Clinical significance of serum and tissue Dickkopf-1 levels in patients with gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND
Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), a secreted protein known as a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway, has been implicated in tumorigenesis. However, the clinical significance of DKK1 in gastric cancer has not been clarified.


METHODS
Serum concentrations of DKK1 in 153 patients with gastric cancer and 173 healthy controls were assessed. For tissue DKK1, immunohistochemistry was performed in 144 cancer specimens from 153 patients and in an additional 265 consecutive gastric cancer specimens.


RESULTS
The serum DKK1 concentrations were significantly higher in the gastric cancer patients than in the healthy controls (p<0.001). At a cutoff concentration of 31.9150 pg/ml, the sensitivity and the specificity for gastric cancer diagnosis were 87.6% and 87.9%, respectively. The gastric cancer patients with a serum DKK1 level of ≥ 60.0 pg/ml had significantly diminished survival compared with the patients whose serum DKK1 levels were lower (p=0.033). The DKK1 overexpression in the cancer specimens significantly correlated with the increased serum DKK1 concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum DKK1 levels have the potential as a diagnostic marker at a low cutoff value and as a prognostic marker at a high cutoff value. Serum and tissue DKK1 levels may aid in diagnosing gastric cancer and predicting patient outcomes.
Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea.
Hye Seung
HS
Lee
Hee Eun
HE
Lee
Do Joong
DJ
Park
Hyung-Ho
HH
Kim
Woo Ho
WH
Kim
Kyoung Un
KU
Park
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; C501126:DKK1 protein, human; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins