title: Serum mesothelin, osteopontin and vimentin: useful markers for clinical monitoring of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a relatively rare tumor, with the epithelioid type occurring more frequently. Several biomarkers have been suggested for screening and early diagnosis of MPM. Currently, high levels of soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP), plasma osteopontin (pOPN) and vimentin have been reported in patients with MPM as promising markers for diagnosis, but their clinical use in monitoring is still discussed. The aim of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of these substances as markers of the clinical response to treatment in patients suffering from epithelioid mesothelioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  219 serum samples from 56 patients were collected during follow-up and the clinical response to therapy was recorded. Percentage differences between 2 consecutive measurements of SMRP, osteopontin and vimentin (Δ markers) by means of commercially available kits were correlated with changes in the clinical course.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Δ SMRP, Δ pOPN and Δ vimentin showed statistically significant differences between the disease categories stable disease, partial response and disease progression (p = 0.0001, p = 0.035 and p = 0.0025 for SMRP, pOPN and vimentin, respectively). Moreover, contingency table analysis showed statistically significant differences between clinical response and Δ of each marker clustered into 3 groups (<-20%, between -20% and +20%, >+20%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The time course of Δ SMRP and Δ vimentin was strongly associated with disease status, and so was the time course of pOPN, albeit to a lesser extent. These markers appear to be particularly effective in cases of partial response and disease progression, while their possible use in stable disease should be better investigated.
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Preventive Medicine Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonotti
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Preventive Medicine Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simonini
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Preventive Medicine Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pantani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giusti
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Donadio
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mazzoni
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chella
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.affiliation: Auxilium Vitae, Volterra, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Nicolino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ambrosino
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Department, University of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucchi
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Department, University of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mussi
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cristaudo
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa - Italy.
authors.forename: Rudy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Foddis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D000090204:Mesothelin; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D000086002:Mesothelioma, Malignant; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D015996:Survival Rate; D014746:Vimentin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; C506895:SPP1 protein, human; D014746:Vimentin; D053495:Osteopontin; D000090204:Mesothelin