Advancing colorectal cancer diagnosis: The role of tumor-derived serum galanin and haptoglobin as novel biomarkers.

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a widespread and serious global malignancy. This study aimed to investigate the clinical relevance of galanin (GAL) and haptoglobin (HP) as new diagnostic CRC biomarkers.

Methods: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the GAL and HP levels in the serum of 88 patient with CRC and 88 healthy controls. The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) contents were quantitatively evaluated via electrochemiluminescence assay. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created to identify the diagnostic importance of single and combined CRC detection. The patients' relevant diagnostic and treatment data were collected from their medical records. Statistical analysis methods were employed to examine the relationship between these indicators and the clinical pathological parameters.

Results: Patients with CRC exhibited significantly decreased and increased serum GAL and HP levels, respectively, compared with the healthy controls (P < 0.0001 for both). Furthermore, the HP level was positively correlated with tumor T stage (P = 0.0124). The area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC values for GAL and HP was 0.744 and 0.712, respectively, indicating their diagnostic efficiency. The combination of GAL and HP increased the AUC to 0.753, and when both were integrated with CEA and CA19-9, the AUC further increased to 0.893.

Conclusion: This study shows that serum GAL and HP can be used as potential noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers for CRC.