The Pregnancy Associated Endometrial Protein Glycodelin and its Potential as a Biomarker for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive tumor with a short survival time arising from the mesothelial cells of the pleura. MPM is mainly associated with asbestos exposure and a strong inflammatory reaction. The common treatment of MPM combines macroscopic complete resection (MCR) and adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy, respectively. Soluble mesothelin and osteopontin are current available biomarker for malignant mesothelioma with moderate sensitivity and specificity. Here we demonstrate that glycodelin, an immune system modulator, well described during fertilization and implantation, might be a new biomarker for follow-up control of MPM. Serum of patients with MPM exhibited high glycodelin concentrations compared to benign lung diseases. Patients with high glycodelin serum concentrations exhibited a worse overall survival. Moreover, glycodelin serum levels correlated with tumor response to treatment. A comparison of mesothelin and glycodelin in a large patient cohort demonstrated that the detection of both soluble factors can increase the reliable diagnostic of MPM. Glycodelin mRNA and protein was highly expressed in MPM tumors compared to normal lung tissue. Altogether, glycodelin seems to be a new potential biomarker for the aggressive malignant pleural mesothelioma.

*Presenting author