A new biomarker for the early diagnosis of gastric cancer: gastric juice- and serum-derived SNCG

Aim: To explore the possibility of gastric juice (GJ)- and serum-derived SNCG as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis of gastric cancer (GC). Materials & methods: GJ and serum samples were collected from 87 patients with GC, 38 patients with gastric precancerous lesions and 44 healthy volunteers. The levels of SNCG in GJ and serum samples were detected by ELISA. Results: The levels of SNCG in GJ and serum were significantly higher in the GC group when compared with the GPL group or the control group. The expression of SNCG in GJ and serum was associated with tumor node metastasis stage, lymph node metastasis, tumor size and drinking, and it is important for the diagnosis and prognosis of GC (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings highlight the significance of SNCG in GC diagnosis and prognosis and implicate SNCG as a promising candidate for GC treatment. Plain language summary Gastric cancer (GC) has high morbidity and mortality rates due to its concealment in the early stage. At present, CEA, CA19-9, CA125, CA724, AFP, CA242 and CA50 are commonly used for the diagnosis of GC, but the effects are not satisfactory. Thus, a better biomarker for the diagnosis of GC is required. This study found that SNCG is highly expressed in the gastric juice and serum of GC patients and contributes to GC's progression. Detection of SNCG in gastric juice and serum is an ideal method for early diagnosis of GC with high specificity and sensitivity. Furthermore, SNCG has great value in the prognosis evaluation of GC, and high expression of SNCG predicts shorter survival for patients with GC, which provides a valuable reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of GC.