Soluble Mesothelin Related Protein (SMRP) in an Asbestos Exposed Population
Saturday, June 28th, 2008.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.. 2008 Jun 26. [Epub ahead of print] [Link]
Park EK, Sandrini A, Yates DH, Thomas PS, Creaney J, Robinson BW, Johnson AR.
Research and Education Unit, Dust Diseases Board, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Abstract
Rationale: Soluble mesothelin related protein (SMRP) is raised in epithelial type malignant mesothelioma (MM), but the utility of SMRP in screening for MM is unknown.
Objectives: We aimed to evaluate SMRP in asbestos exposed subjects.
Methods: 538 subjects were studied. Those with elevated SMRP (≥ 2.5nM) underwent further investigation including positron-emission tomography/computed tomography.
Measurements and Main Results: Mean (± SD) SMRP in healthy subjects exposed to asbestos (n=223) was 0.79 (± 0.45) nM. 15 subjects had elevated SMRP, of whom one had lung cancer which was successfully resected. Another with lung cancer was undetected by SMRP. No subjects were diagnosed with MM. Mean SMRP in healthy subjects was significantly lower than in subjects with PPs (p<0.01).
Conclusions: This is the first large scale prospective study of SMRP for screening for malignancy in asbestos-exposed individuals. A high false positive rate was observed. SMRP seems unlikely to prove useful in screening for MM.
Keywords: soluble mesothelin related protein, mesothelioma, asbestos-related disorders, diagnostic accuracy, screening
Glossary
- screening
- the search for disease, such as cancer, in people without symptoms. For example, the principal screening measure for breast cancer is mammography. Screening may refer to coordinated programs in large populations.
- cancer
- malignancy; a group of diseases typified by abnormal, generally out-of-control, cell growth.
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
