Exploration of the role of
serum ghrelin in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive tract malignancies.
J Int Med Res 2021;
48:300060520920441. [PMID:
32366148 PMCID:
PMC7221476 DOI:
10.1177/0300060520920441]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective
The incidence of digestive tract malignancies (DTMs) is increasing, early
diagnosis is limited, and treatment effects are unsatisfactory. DTMs express
ghrelin, which might be involved in tumor formation and development; whether
serum ghrelin can provide useful guidance remains unknown.
Methods
Sera of healthy individuals were obtained from October 2017 through March
2018; serum samples from patients with gastric (GC), colon (CC), and rectal
(RC) cancers were collected during the same period. Serum ghrelin was tested
by ELISA and correlated with clinicopathology of patients with DTMs.
Results
Serum ghrelin was higher in patients (GC, 38 patients; CC, 24; RC, 26) than
in 69 healthy individuals and decreased significantly after tumor resection.
Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 score and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio affected
perioperative serum ghrelin levels. The epithelial cell marker AE1/AE3 (pan
keratin) in patients with GC, tumor location in the colon in patients with
CC, and age in patients with RC also affected perioperative serum
ghrelin.
Conclusions
Serum ghrelin might provide early warning of occurrence and guide prognosis
of DTMs. Ghrelin can be used when screening for nutritional risk and
inflammation. The clinicopathological influence on serum ghrelin in patients
with DTMs is related to tumor location in the digestive tract.
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