Revista de diagnóstico y biomarcadores moleculares

Serum c-kit Protein Detection as a Reliable Biomarker for the Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Kakavetsi V, Apostolopoulos P, Karameris A, Dimakis A, Tsimbouris P, Zalonis A, Karamountzos A, Adamopoulos A, Vafiadis I, Ladas S and Alexandrakis G

Background: In the last decade, the diagnostic approach of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST) has drastically changed with the utilization of tissue-specific biomarkers, such as c-Kit. However, a serum biomarker aiding in differential GIST diagnosis prior to surgery would provide added benefit in the daily clinical practice. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate whether detection of c-Kit protein in the serum could be used as a reliable diagnostic biomarker.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients with histologically confirmed GIST (16 men; age 41-80 years), 27 healthy controls (14 men; age 45-76 years) and 24 patients with submucosal tumors other than GIST (10 men; age 25-85 years) were enrolled in the study. Detection of serum c-Kit protein in blood samples of all patients prior to any treatment-related intervention and of healthy participants was accomplished using flow cytometry. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay were estimated.

Results: Of the 27 patients with GIST, 25 were serum c-Kit positive. In the control group of 27 healthy participants, all except one were serum c-Kit negative, while among the 24 patients with tumors either than GIST, 22 were serum c-Kit negative and 2 were positive. Based on these results, the sensitivity of the assay was 92.6%, while the specificity was 96.3% when compared with the healthy volunteers and 91.7% in comparison with the non-GIST group.

Conclusion: c-Kit protein detection with flow cytometry could represent a reliable sensitive and specific serum bioassay for differential GIST diagnosis.