Expression of Dkk-3, a secreted putative tumor suppressor, is altered in age-related proliferative disorders of the human prostate.
We now investigated the suitability of Dkk-3 as a diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer (PCa) in seminal plasma (SP).
SP samples were obtained from 81 patients prior to TRUS-guided prostate biopsies on the basis of elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA; >4 ng/mL) levels and/or abnormal digital rectal examination. A sensitive indirect immunoenzymometric assay for Dkk-3 was developed and characterized in detail. SP Dkk-3 and PSA levels were determined and normalized to total SP protein. The diagnostic accuracies of single markers including serum PSA and multivariate models to discriminate patients with positive (N = 40) and negative (N = 41) biopsy findings were investigated.
Biopsy-confirmed PCa showed significantly higher SP Dkk-3 levels (100.9 +/- 12.3 vs. 69.2 +/- 9.4 fmol/mg; p = 0.026). Diagnostic accuracy (AUC) of SP Dkk-3 levels (0.633) was enhanced in multivariate models by including serum PSA (model A; AUC 0.658) or both, serum and SP PSA levels (model B; AUC 0.710). In a subpopulation with clinical follow-up >3 years post-biopsy to ensure veracity of negative biopsy status (positive biopsy N = 21; negative biopsy N = 25) AUCs for SP Dkk-3, model A and B increased to 0.667, 0.724 and 0.777, respectively.
In multivariate models to detect PCa, inclusion of SP Dkk-3 levels, which were significantly elevated in biopsy-confirmed PCa patients, improved the diagnostic performance compared with serum PSA only.
Written by:
Zenzmaier C, Heitz M, Klocker H, Buck M, Gardiner RA, Berger P. Are you the author?
Reference: J Transl Med. 2011 Nov 10;9(1):193.
doi: 10.1186/1479-5876-9-193
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22071168
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