Is Soluble Mesothelin-Related Protein an Upfront Predictive Marker of Pleural Mesothelioma?

Oncology. 2013 Dec 21;86(1):33-43. [Epub ahead of print]

Is Soluble Mesothelin-Related Protein an Upfront Predictive Marker of Pleural Mesothelioma? A Prospective Study on Italian Workers Exposed to Asbestos.

Filiberti R, Marroni P, Spigno F, Merlo DF, Mortara V, Caruso P, Cioè A, Michelazzi L, Bruzzone A, Bobbio B, Simonassi C, Del Corso L, Galli R, Racchi O, Dini G,Linares R, Mencoboni M.

Author information

• Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST-Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy.

Abstract

Objective: Soluble mesothelin-related peptide (SMRP) may be useful in the diagnosis and detection of early stage mesothelioma. We investigated the SMRP upfront predictive role for mesothelioma in asbestos-exposed workers. 

Methods: A total of 1,715 subjects underwent a first visit and were invited for a follow-up after 1 and 2 years, with a clinical examination and blood sampling. SMRP was measured by an ELISA assay. 

Results: Median SMRP at the first visit was 0.45 [interquartile range (IQR) i.e. 25th-75th percentile: 0.30-0.67 nmol/l]. In all, 1,676 subjects (97.8%) were followed up for a median period of 47.1 months. SMRP was measured at the first visit and at both follow-up visits in 1,536 subjects. At follow-up, 3 subjects were diagnosed with an epithelioid mesothelioma. In these cases, SMRP at the first visit ranged from 0.17 to 0.52 nmol/l. Malignant pleural mesothelioma was diagnosed 9-17 months after the last SMRP evaluation. No SMRP variation was observed during the follow-up. Other 61 miscellaneous cancers were diagnosed (median SMRP at first visit: 0.50 nmol/l, IQR: 0.34-0.71 nmol/l). 

Conclusions: Our results did not support the usefulness of SMRP as an early marker for the detection of the disease for a time interval of 1 year.