Serum Wnt10B/β-Catenin in Early Diagnosis, Lymph Node Metastasis, and Prognosis in Cervical Cancer.

Objective: To assess the serum levels of Wnt10B and β-catenin for early diagnosis of the cervical cancer and their association with distant lymph node metastasis and prognosis.

Study design: Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Gynaecology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliated with Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China, from September 2019 to 2023.

Methodology: The cervical cancer group included 156 patients, while the control group comprised 96 healthy women. Serum samples were collected to compare the levels of β-catenin and Wnt10B. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore the relationship between these biomarkers and clinical characteristics. The receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to evaluate their diagnostic value.

Results: The cervical cancer group exhibited significantly higher serum levels of β-catenin and Wnt10B compared to the control group (p <0.001). Univariate analysis revealed markedly elevated levels of Wnt10B and β-catenin (p <0.001) in patients with poor prognosis, lymph node metastasis, and advanced stages (III-IV). Multivariate analysis identified prognosis (p = 0.02) and lymph node metastasis (p <0.001) as independent risk factors for elevated Wnt10B and prognosis (p = 0.006) as a risk factor for increased β-catenin. According to ROC curve analysis, serum levels of Wnt10B (AUC = 0.77, p = 0.0003), β-catenin (AUC = 0.73, p = 0.0021), and the combined diagnostic approach (AUC = 0.79, p = 0.0001) could be used to predict the risk of postoperative recurrence.

Conclusion: Serum levels of Wnt10B and β-catenin are valuable biomarkers for early cervical cancer diagnosis, lymph node metastasis, and prognosis of cervical cancer.

Key words: Cervical cancer, Wnt10B, β-catenin, Early diagnosis, Prognostic biomarkers, Prognosis.