title: Plasma Kisspeptin-54 levels in gastric cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Kisspeptin (Kisspeptin-54; KP-54) is a 54-amino acid peptide was originally known as metastin that was implicated in suppression of tumor metastasis and circulating kisspeptin has been proposed as a tumor marker for numerous cancers in humans. However, the plasma level of KP-54 in gastric cancer (GC) remains undetermined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the plasma levels of KP-54 in patients with GC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma KP-54 levels were quantified with enzyme-immunoassay from blood samples of 40 patients with GC at their initial staging and 59 age-matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma KP-54 levels were significantly higher in GC patients (63.3±17.9) than in controls (49.0±12.7) (p=0.000). Cut-off value for KP-54 was determined as 44 ng/ml and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, were 60%, 78%, 63%, and 74% respectively. Plasma KP-54 levels were not correlated with any clinicopathological features of GC patients (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Result of our preliminary study suggest that plasma KP-54 levels might be a useful parameter in diagnosis of GC.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Institute of Experimental Medicine Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, and American Hospital, General Surgery Clinic, Istanbul 34100, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ergen
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Canbay
authors.forename: Dursun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bugra
authors.forename: Umit
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zeybek
authors.forename: Sumer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaner
authors.forename: Turker
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bulut
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D059648:Kisspeptins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C106628:KISS1 protein, human; D059648:Kisspeptins