title: Serum retinol binding protein-4 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin are interrelated in pancreatic cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pancreatic cancer has an extremely dismal clinical course and high fatality rate. Knowing that, adipokines could regulate insulin resistance, inflammation, immunity and carcinogenesis. Accordingly, an understanding of adipokines in relation to pancreatic cancer could be useful to improve disease outcome. We aimed to determine serum retinol binding protein-4 (RBP-4) and neutophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels in pancreatic cancer patients. Moreover, we assessed their association with tumor severity and with each other.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 23 pancreatic cancer patients and 20 healthy controls were enrolled. Fifteen of the pancreatic cancer patients underwent Whipple resection and were examined before and after operation. Serum glucose, insulin, lipid profile, CA19-9, RBP-4 and NGAL were estimated by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant elevation in serum concentrations of RBP-4 (64.4 ± 5.6 ng/ml) and NGAL (142(80-235) ng/ml) at p < 0.001 was found in pancreatic cancer patients. Both RBP-4 and NGAL were significantly lower after operation than before operation. Moreover, NGAL was elevated in advanced pathological T stage. Interestingly, RBP-4 and NGAL levels were positively correlated (r = 0.484, p = 0.05) and they are associated with some of the lipid profile parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated serum RBP-4 and NGAL are associated with pancreatic cancer. They were positively interrelated; highlighting the possible interplay between them in pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hala O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: El-Mesallamy
authors.forename: Nadia M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Hamdy
authors.forename: Ashraf S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Zaghloul
authors.forename: Alaliaa M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sallam
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000097:blood; D012044:Regression Analysis; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C101326:RBP4 protein, human; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma