Current Oncology (Oct 2024)

Searching for New Biomarkers of Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Comparative Analysis of Chromogranin A and Inflammatory Cytokines in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors

  • Marlena Budek,
  • Jarosław Nuszkiewicz,
  • Jolanta Czuczejko,
  • Marta Maruszak-Parda,
  • Joanna Wróblewska,
  • Jakub Wojtasik,
  • Iga Hołyńska-Iwan,
  • Marta Pawłowska,
  • Alina Woźniak,
  • Karolina Szewczyk-Golec

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol31100456
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 31, no. 10
pp. 6110 – 6132

Abstract

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Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) present a diagnostic challenge due to their heterogeneous nature and non-specific clinical manifestations. This study aimed to explore novel biomarkers for NENs. Serum chromogranin A (CgA) levels and a panel of 48 inflammatory cytokines were analyzed in a cohort of 84 NEN patients and 40 healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and multiplex ELISA. Significant alterations in cytokine levels were observed in the NEN patients compared to the controls, including elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and reduced levels of angiogenic factors like platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and tumor necrosis factor beta (TNF-β). Notably, cytokines such as growth-regulated alpha protein (GRO-α) and TNF-β demonstrated strong potential as diagnostic markers, with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses showing high sensitivity and specificity. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between CgA levels and several inflammatory cytokines, suggesting their synergistic role in tumor progression. These findings highlight the limited reliability of CgA alone as a diagnostic marker and underscore the importance of a multi-marker approach in diagnosing and monitoring NENs. Further research on a larger cohort is necessary to validate these biomarkers and their potential clinical applications.

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