Comparison of the clinical usefulness of CXCL-8 and conventional clinical tumor markers for gastric cancer diagnosis.

backgroundGastric Cancer (GC) is a prevalent disease worldwide, with substantial morbidity and mortality rates. The current clinical biomarkers, Carbohydrate Antigen-19-9 (CA19-9) and Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), utilized for GC diagnosis and progression monitoring, lack optimal sensitivity and specificity. Hence, the identification of novel biomarkers for early diagnosis is crucial. The authors aimed to investigate the clinical usefulness of serum C-X-C motif Chemokine-8 (CXCL-8) as a potential biomarker for GC diagnosis and progression.

methodsBetween January 1, 2023, and March 31, 2023, a total of 198 patients diagnosed with GC and 123 healthy volunteers were recruited from Fujian Medical University Union Hospital. Serum samples from all participants were obtained, and the levels of CXCL-8 were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, serum concentrations of CA19-9 and CEA were measured using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Clinicopathological characteristics of the GC patients were collected and analyzed. The diagnostic efficacy of CXCL-8, CA19-9, and CEA for GC and Early GC (EGC) was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves.

resultsThe serum levels of CXCL-8 and CEA were significantly higher in patients with GC and EGC compared to healthy volunteers; however, the CA19-9 concentrations were only significantly higher in patients with GC compared to healthy volunteers. In the GC group, Areas Under the Curves (AUCs) for CXCL-8, CEA, and CA19-9 were 0.915, 0.780, and 0.660, respectively. The combined application of CXCL-8+CEA and CXCL-8+CA19-9 yielded AUCs of 0.934 and 0.932, and was significantly higher than that of the combination of CEA+ CA19-9 (0.813). In EEC, the diagnostic performance of CXCL-8 was similar to that in the EC group. Importantly, the sensitivity of CXCL-8 was greater than that of CEA, and CA19-9 alone, and the combination of three markers (p < 0.05). Notably, serum CXCL-8 levels exhibited significant associations with the TNM stage, N-stage, vascular invasion, and nerve invasion in patients with GC.

conclusionsIn comparison to the traditional tumor markers CEA and CA19-9, the results indicate that serum CXCL-8 levels could be a promising biomarker for GC, especially in the early stages. Additionally, the results further imply the potential utility of serum CXCL-8 levels as a prognostic biomarker for GC.