Correlation of Serum Concentration of Cystatin C & β-2-microglobulin in Pediatric Malignancy

Abstract

Background: Malignant disease is the second most frequent cause of death between the ages of 1 and 15 years. Childhood tumors are relatively more malignant, disseminating early and responding poorly to treatment, Beta2-microglobulin, a Major Histo-compatibility (MHC) class I subunit, is found to act as a prototypical oncogenic factor capable of stimulating growth and progression of various cancers. Cysteine proteases are proteolytic enzymes involved in many pathological processes such as tumor invasion and metastatic processes.Aim: to assess the status of Beta2-microglobulin, cystatin C and the effects of chemotherapy on these markers in patients with various malignant diseases.Materials and methods: the present study is a case-control study done at Al-Kadhimiya Teaching Hospital in 2010. Includes measurement of serum Beta2-microglobulin and Cystatin C in 60 patients with different malignant conditions who were divided into two groups:oPatients with newly diagnosed malignant tumor G1: (n=30).oPatients with definitely diagnosed malignant tumor G2: (n=30,), The results were compared with another 30 malignancy-free children who were included as disease-unrelated controls:oPatients complaining from diseases other than malignancy (G3): (n=30). Results: showed a significant increase in serum Beta2-microglobulin and Cystatin C in patients with malignant tumors as compared with the controls (p<0.001) Moreover, these markers were significantly high in patients on no treatment G1 compared with patients on chemotherapy G2. Additionally, a significant (P<0.05) positive correlation was found between these markers in the studied groups. Conclusion, pediatric patients with various malignant tumors (but normal renal function) have high level of serum Beta2-microglobulin and cystatin C when compared with controls; for Beta2-microglobulin, this can be explained on the fact that the presence of Beta2-microglobulin on the surface of the numerous tumour cell lines identifies it with the notion of tumour mass; for Cystatin C this can be explained on genetic basis due to the fact that Cys-C gene is one of the most highly up-regulated genes in cancer. The above results were supported by the significant high level of s. Beta2-microglobulin and cystatin C; which can be used as a tumor marker although not specific.