Researchers recently discovered that calretinin, a vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein, acts as a potentially effective biomarker signaling the presence or onset of mesothelioma. While the results are still preliminary, the research could contribute to the development of a far more effective and less intrusive method of achieving an early diagnosis and even identifying high risk individuals.
Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibers, attacks the tissue lining around the lungs, heart, and abdomen which is known as the mesothelium. When microscopic asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they often become lodged in the mesothelial tissues after passing through the lung, stomach or intestinal walls. Asbestos fibers which become entangled in the mesothelium cause a scarring reaction which in time, often some ten to fifty years, can develop into a malignant tumor.
Mesothelioma is a terminal cancer. Due to the disease’s ambiguous symptoms and incredibly high latency time, (the amount of time it takes to present from initial exposure), many victims aren’t properly diagnosed until the cancer has entered its last stages. Mesothelioma patients generally survive only six to eighteen months after their tumor is discovered.
The calretinin research and other discoveries of the same sort could offer the hope of early diagnosis to some asbestos workers. An early diagnosis often broadens treatment options and improves overall survival rates.
“Calretinin is one of the well-established immunohistochemical markers in the diagnostics of malignant mesothelioma,” the calretinin researchers explained. “Its utility as a diagnostic tool in human blood, however, is scarcely investigated. The aim of this study was to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for human calretinin in blood and to assess its usefulness as a potential minimally invasive diagnostic marker for MM.”
The study measured calretinin levels in ninety-seven healthy volunteers, thirty-five asbestos workers, and forty-two mesothelioma patients. The calretinin values correlated promisingly with the volunteers, showing 0.20, 0.33, and 0.84 ng/ml respectively.
While the findings are promising, more research is necessary to draw final conclusions.
“On the basis of our initial results,” said the researchers, “we suggest that the measurement of calretinin in human serum and plasma might be a useful marker for the diagnosis of MM, alone or combined with other markers such as soluble mesothelin. However, these results are based on relatively small numbers and further studies on more patients, including subgroups of subjects with other tumors and non-malignant lung or pleural diseases, are needed to confirm our initial data. Such a study is presently ongoing.”
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