The importance of CA 72-4 and CA 19-9 dosing in gastric cancer.

Serological analysis of tumor markers has emerged as a non-invasive method for monitoring cancer patients, including tumor recurrence and response to treatment. Tumor markers have the potential to aid in both the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer, but their most important role currently lies in the monitoring of tumor progression. Tumor markers can also provide valuable information on treatment effectiveness, with changes in plasma values indicating tumor regression or progression. This research aimed to investigate the correlation between the serum detection values of three tumor markers - CEA, CA 19-9, and CA 72-4 - and their utility in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. The study seeks to uncover the relationship between these tumor markers and the evolution of gastric cancer, providing insights into their potential use in clinical practice.

Serum YKL-40 Levels in Patients with Asthma or COPD: A Pilot Study.

Background and Objectives: Bronchial asthma (BA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are not only common obstructive respiratory conditions but also major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is, however, a surprising lack of blood-based biomarkers for separating between these pulmonary disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the practical relevance of using serum YKL-40, single or combined, for this purpose. Materials and Methods: Subjects included Romanian patients with BA (n = 24) or COPD (n = 27). YKL-40, fibrinogen, pre-treatment C-reactive protein (CRP), post-treatment CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, interleukin 6 (IL-6), procalcitonin (PCT), absolute neutrophil count, neutrophil percentage, absolute lymphocyte count, lymphocyte percentage, absolute eosinophil count, and eosinophil percentage were measured and compared between these patients. Results: This is the first study investigating the clinical significance of serum YKL-40 in delineating between COPD and BA in Caucasian populations. Only fibrinogen and YKL-40 levels were different between COPD and BA, with the measured values being significantly elevated. These patients exhibited distinct inflammatory profiles. Using the upper quartiles of these variables for the pooled study population (YKL-40: 5100 pg/mL; fibrinogen: 552 mg/dL) as cut-off values, subjects were classified into high or low groups. High YKL-40 adults revealed significantly increased PCT levels. High fibrinogen subjects, by contrast, showed significantly elevated IL-6 concentrations and pre-treatment CRP levels. Low YKL-40 and fibrinogen patients showed the absence of COPD. Conclusions: Combined use of serum YKL-40 and fibrinogen may be useful for identifying the absence of COPD.

Clinical significance of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and carcinoembryonic antigen in gastric cancer.

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α plays an important role in inflammatory, infectious, and tumor processes, and it is closely related to the early stages of gastric cancer. It is a pro-inflammatory cytokine, produced not only by macrophages and monocytes but also by the lymphocytes, mast cells, neutrophils, keratinocytes, smooth muscle cells, and some tumor cell lines. Large amounts of TNF are released upon contact of macrophages, CD4 + T lymphocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells with lipopolysaccharides, bacterial products, and interleukin 1. TNF-alpha inducing protein (Tipa) is a unique carcinogenic factor of Helicobacter pylori, secreted into culture broth. The biological activities of TNF alpha and deletion mutant were studied. TNF alpha protein specifically binds to cell-surface nucleolin and then enters the gastric cancer cells, where TNF-a and chemokine gene expressions are induced by NF-jB activation. Nucleolin localizes on the surface of gastric cancer cells, and interaction between TNF alpha and cell-surface nucleolin causes a cancer-oriented microenvironment that increases the risk of gastric cancer. This paper discusses a mechanism of gastric cancer development and the clinical significance of tumor necrosis-alpha and carcinoembryonic antigen in gastric cancer.