title: Angiopoietin-like protein 2 as a potential biomarker for colorectal cancer.
abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy worldwide. Disease progression leads to its spread to other organs, such as the liver, and is associated with higher mortality rates. Early CRC detection is therefore crucial for maximizing the chances of complete cure. The measurement of serum-based tumor biomarkers has shown great potential for the detection of CRC. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) as a candidate biomarker for CRC. We first investigated ANGPTL2 expression in 7 CRC cell lines, among which Colo320, NCC-CoCK-115P, Caco-2 and Colo205 exhibited comparatively high ANGPTL2 expression. The serum levels of ANGPTL2 in CRC patients (3.45±1.30 ng/ml) were higher compared with those in healthy controls (2.74±0.64 ng/ml) (P<0.05). A receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that the diagnostic performance of ANGPTL2 was marginally lower compared with that of the established biomarker C-reactive protein, but higher compared with that of carbohydrate antigen 19-9. These results suggested that the simultaneous measurement of ANGPTL2, along with previously established serum biomarkers, may increase the likelihood of early detection of CRC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Application, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima 891-8512, Japan ; Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshinaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.
authors.forename: Takamasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shigemitsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima 891-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimata
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima 891-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitazono
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Application, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima 891-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Emiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Application, Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima 891-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomiyoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
keywords: angiopoietin-like protein 2; biomarker; colorectal cancer; mucinous carcinoma; serum