NEJM -- Asbestos Exposure, Pleural Mesothelioma, and Serum Osteopontin Levels

NEJM -- Asbestos Exposure, Pleural Mesothelioma, and Serum Osteopontin Levels: " PreviousVolume 353:1564-1573October 13, 2005Number 15
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Asbestos Exposure, Pleural Mesothelioma, and Serum Osteopontin Levels

Harvey I. Pass, M.D., Dan Lott, B.S., Fulvio Lonardo, M.D., Michael Harbut, M.D., Zhandong Liu, Ph.D., Naimei Tang, Ph.D., Michele Carbone, M.D., Ph.D., Craig Webb, Ph.D., and Anil Wali, Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
Background We investigated the presence of osteopontin in pleural mesothelioma and determined serum osteopontin levels in three populations: subjects without cancer who were exposed to asbestos, subjects without cancer who were not exposed to asbestos, and patients with pleural mesothelioma who were exposed to asbestos.
Methods A group of 69 subjects with asbestos-related nonmalignant pulmonary disease were compared with 45 subjects without exposure to asbestos and 76 patients with surgically staged pleural mesothelioma. Tumor tissue was examined for osteopontin by immunohistochemical analysis, and serum osteopontin levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results There were no significant differences in mean (�SE) serum osteopontin levels between age-matched subjects with exposure to asbestos and subjects without exposure to asbestos (30�3 ng per milliliter and 20�4 ng per milliliter, respectively; P=0.06"

Elevated blood levels of osteopontin linked to pleural mesothelioma

Elevated blood levels of osteopontin linked to pleural mesothelioma: "Elevated blood levels of osteopontin linked to pleural mesothelioma

Researchers at New York University ( NYU ) School of Medicine and Wayne State University have found a molecule that reveals the early stages of pleural mesothelioma, a chest cancer caused by asbestos.

The finding opens the way to a blood test for the disease.
The study is published in the The New England Journal of Medicine ( NEJM ).

An estimated 7.5 million workers in the United States have been exposed to asbestos and, according to government statistics, it remains a hazard to some 1.3 million workers in construction and building maintenance.

There has been no way to reliably screen for this type of cancer, particularly in its early stages when treatment may be more successful.
The blood test could help to monitor people at risk of developing cancer due to asbestos exposure, says Harvey Pass, at NYU School of Medicine, and the lead author of the study.

' The levels of a protein called osteopontin rise dramatically in the early stage of this disease,' says Pass. So, he says, ' a rise in the level of this biomarker in workers with past asbestos exposure may indicate to physicians that these people need to be followed even more closely for the development of cancer.'

Pleural mesothelioma, a cancer that invades the lining of the chest cavity and the lining of the lungs, usually develops in people who have been exposed to asbestos, such as foundry workers, pipe fitters, shipbuilders, miners, electricians, factory workers, firefighters, as well as construction workers who have used asbestos-containing materials. It often takes decades to develop.

In the study, Pass and colleagues found that blood "

Blood Test May Detect Mesothelioma Early

Blood Test May Detect Mesothelioma Early: "Search
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Blood Test May Detect Mesothelioma Early
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October 18, 2005
Blood Test May Detect Mesothelioma Early
Researchers at the NYU School of Medicine and Wayne State University have discovered a molecule that can show pleural mesothelioma at its early stages. Pleural mesolthlioma is a cancer that affects the chest, and is caused by exposure to asbestos. The findings lead to the possibility of a blood test that can detect the disease early. This is great news considering an established screening method is currently unavailable. Those exposed to mesothelioma may soon have means for screening.
The study published in the Oct. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, found a protein called osteopontin, to be elevated in pleural mesothelioma patients.
For more information on the sudy, please visit the NYU School of Medicine. "