Plasma Kisspeptin-54 levels in gastric cancer patients

Background: Kisspeptin (Kisspeptin-54; KP-54) is a 54-amino acid peptide was originally known as metastin that was implicated in suppression of tumor metastasis and circulating kisspeptin has been proposed as a tumor marker for numerous cancers in humans. However, the plasma level of KP-54 in gastric cancer (GC) remains undetermined. Aim: We aimed to investigate the plasma levels of KP-54 in patients with GC. Methods: Plasma KP-54 levels were quantified with enzyme-immunoassay from blood samples of 40 patients with GC at their initial staging and 59 age-matched controls. Results: Plasma KP-54 levels were significantly higher in GC patients (63.3 +/- 17.9) than in controls (49.0 +/- 12.7) (p +/- 0.000). Cut-off value for KP-54 was determined as 44 ng/ml and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, were 60%, 78%, 63%, and 74% respectively. Plasma KP-54 levels were not correlated with any clinicopathological features of GC patients (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Result of our preliminary study suggest that plasma KP-54 levels might be a useful parameter in diagnosis of GC. (C) 2012 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.