title: Autoantibodies as potential biomarkers for the early detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most frequent causes of cancer death worldwide and effective diagnosis is needed. We assessed the diagnostic potential of an autoantibody panel that may benefit early diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data for patients with ESCC and normal controls in a test cohort and a validation cohort. Autoantibody levels were measured against a panel of six tumor-associated antigens (p53, NY-ESO-1, matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), peroxiredoxin VI (Prx VI), and BMI1 polycomb ring finger oncogene (Bmi-1)) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We assessed serum autoantibodies in 513 participants: 388 with ESCC and 125 normal controls. The validation cohort comprised 371 participants: 237 with ESCC, and 134 normal controls. Autoantibodies to at least 1 of 6 antigens demonstrated a sensitivity/specificity of 57% (95% confidence interval (CI): 52-62%)/95% (95% CI: 89-98%) and 51% (95% CI: 45-57%)/96% (95% CI: 91-99%) in the test and validation cohorts, respectively. Measurement of the autoantibody panel could differentiate early-stage ESCC patients from normal controls (sensitivity 45% (95% CI: 32-59%) and specificity 95% (95% CI: 89-98%) in the test cohort; 46% (95% CI: 35-58%) and 96% (95% CI: 91-99%) in the validation cohort). In either cohort, no significant differences were seen when patients were subdivided by age, gender, smoking status, size of tumor, site of tumor, depth of tumor invasion, histological grade, lymph node status, TNM stage, or early-stage and late-stage groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measurement of an autoantibody response to multiple tumor-associated antigens in an optimized panel assay, to help discriminate early-stage ESCC patients from normal controls, may aid in early detection of ESCC.
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Oncologic Pathology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China [2] Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncologic Pathology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China [2] Department of Oncology Surgery, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Surgery, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Peng
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shantou Central Hospital, Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Shao-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, the Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Peng
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: En-Min
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncologic Pathology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Li-Yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001323:Autoantibodies; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor