title: Circulating MACC1 as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for nonsmall cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) is a newly identified gene that plays an important role in cancer progression and metastasis. MACC1 has important functions in the differentiation, invasion, and metastasis of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the value of circulating MACC1 as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for NSCLC remains unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma MACC1 mRNA levels were examined in 272 patients with NSCLC, 61 with benign lung disease, and 80 healthy volunteers using reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MACC1 was more highly expressed in NSCLC patients than in patients with benign disease (P < 0.001) or in healthy volunteers (P < 0.001). High MACC1 expression was significantly associated with NSCLC stage (P = 0.013) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.016). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.766, and the optimal cutoff value was 0.105, providing a sensitivity of 71.4 % and a specificity of 89.1 %. The diagnostic capability of circulating MACC1 mRNA was higher than that of carcinoembryonic antigen (P = 0.025) or cytokeratin-19 (P = 0.010). Furthermore, high MACC1 expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) and predicted poor survival in NSCLC patients. Consequently, MACC1 mRNA was an independent prognostic factor of OS and DFS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that circulating MACC1 mRNA represents a potential noninvasive, diagnostic and prognostic marker for NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, The Forth People's Hospital of Wuxi City, No. 200, Huihe Road, Wuxi, 214062, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zongtao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood*; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C544162:MACC1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors