Background/aim: Little is known on urine biomarkers that are associated with malignant behavior in patients with bladder cancer (BC). Our aim was to identify BC-related factors in urine samples using our original method "immune complexome analysis", based on detecting the immune complex (IC).
Patients and methods: Immune complexome analysis was performed using urine samples from 97 BC patients, including 67 with non-muscle invasive BC (NMIBC).
Results: Eight IC-antigens were recognized as candidates for BC-related factors from 20,165 proteins. IC-serum albumin, -fibrinogen γ chain, -hemoglobin subunit α, -hemoglobin subunit β, -ceruloplasmin, and fibrinogen β chain were significantly associated with either pathological features and/or outcome. IC-ceruloplasmin was most widely associated with pathological features in all BC patients and lamina propria invasion and urinary tract recurrence in NMIBC.
Conclusion: Based on detection of IC-antigens it was demonstrated that six IC-antigens, especially IC-ceruloplasmin, are potential urine biomarkers in BC.
Keywords: Immune complexome analysis; bladder cancer; invasion; recurrence; urine marker.
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