Abstract
Objective
This study primarily aimed to analyze the levels of THBS2 in the serum of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and subsequently evaluate its potential as a diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC.
Methods
Serum samples were collected from 150 diagnosed NSCLC patients and 150 healthy individuals. The THBS2 concentration in these samples was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study also investigated the correlation between THBS2 levels and various clinicopathological characteristics in NSCLC patients. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of serum THBS2 for NSCLC were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and their corresponding area under the curve (AUC).
Results
Serum THBS2 levels in NSCLC patients were significantly elevated compared to those in healthy individuals. THBS2 levels showed a significant correlation with tumor differentiation grade, tumor size, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis. No significant correlation was identified between serum THBS2 levels and other parameters such as gender, age, height, weight, BMI, smoking history, and tumor histological type. At a cutoff value of 7.62 ng/mL, THBS2 could effectively differentiate NSCLC patients from healthy individuals, with a sensitivity of 85.31% and a specificity of 88.92%. The AUC for NSCLC diagnosis using THBS2 was 0.812, significantly surpassing the performance of traditional tumor markers tested, including CEA (0.728), and CYFRA 21‑1 (0.685).
Conclusions
Elevated serum THBS2 levels in NSCLC patients suggest its potential as a novel and reliable diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC. Its superior diagnostic performance could potentially outperform traditional tumor markers, leading to improved patient outcomes.
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Any researchers can access to the datasets by contacting the corresponding author and providing recommendations concerning non-commercial use and privacy protection from their institutions.
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LX and CZ conceived the idea and conceptualized the study. YL collected and analysed the data. MC and ML drafted and revised the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.
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The study complied with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the ethical committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College (No. 20823574). Every participant gave their informed written consent to participate in the study.
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Xiong, L., Zhu, C., Lu, Y. et al. Serum THBS2 is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 149, 15671–15677 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-023-05330-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-023-05330-9