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bioRxiv2025

CXCL12, SCF, and eotaxin are prognostic serum biomarkers in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death. Its poor prognosis is primarily due to a late diagnosis and a lack of effective treatments for advanced disease. We aimed to identify new prognostic serum biomarkers to aid clinical decision-making. Our patient cohort consisted of 240 individuals who underwent surgery for histologically verified gastric adenocarcinoma in the Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital, between 2000 and 2009. To determine serum protein concentrations of cytokines and growth factors, we utilized Bio-Rads premixed Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine 27-plex and 21-plex assay kits. Among the 48 biomarkers analyzed, three emerged as statistically significant prognostic markers for disease-specific survival using the Cox proportional hazards univariate analysis: C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) (hazard ratio [HR] 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23-0.63, p<0.001), stem cell factor (HR 0.38, 95%CI 0.19-0.77, p=0.007), and eotaxin (HR 0.57, 95%CI 0.37-0.89, p=0.013). Multivariate survival analysis revealed that, among the 48 biomarkers analyzed, CXCL12 and eotaxin served as independent prognostic markers among gastric cancer patients. The prognostic effect of inflammatory serum biomarkers in gastric cancer could provide new insights into the immunological microenvironment of disease.

pathology↗

bioRxiv2025

CCL5, CLEC11A, IL-7, IL-8, and IL-13: Diagnostic serum biomarkers of gastric cancer identified in a 48-multiplex panel

BackgroundGastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death. Its poor prognosis is primarily due to a late diagnosis and a lack of effective treatments for advanced disease. MethodsWe examined a patient cohort comprising 239 individuals who underwent surgery for histologically verified gastric adenocarcinoma in the Department of Surgery at Helsinki University Hospital between 2000 and 2009, comparing them to 48 healthy controls. We measured the serum protein concentrations for 48 different cytokines and growth factors using two of Bio-Rads premixed Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine 27-plex and 21-plex assay kits. ResultsFive serum biomarkers were identified as indicative of gastric cancer. Cancer patients had higher serum levels of CLEC11A [odds ratio (OR) 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08- 1.26, p = 0.004], IL-7 (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.48-5.04, p = 0.014), IL-8 (OR 6.30, 95% CI 2.23-20.0, p = 0.017), and IL-13 (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.33-5.37, p = 0.041). The CCL5 levels were lower in cancer patients compared with controls (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.14-0.60, p = 0.014). ConclusionsIn a large cohort of 239 patients, we identified five biomarkers for which serum levels associated with gastric cancer: CCL5, CLEC11A, IL-7, IL-8, and IL-13. High serum levels of CLEC11A have not previously been associated with gastric cancer. Our results provide new support to further explore the effect of these inflammatory molecules and the role they play in gastric cancer. This may help identify novel noninvasive diagnostic methods as well as potential new druggable targets.

pathology↗