Abstract
Introduction: Previous studies have suggested the use of soluble CD26 (sCD26) as a tumour marker for the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) and advanced adenomas. The aim of this study was to assess the sCD26 concentration in a large cohort to evaluate its association to epidemiologic parameters and CRC-related symptoms/pathologies.Subjects and methods: Serum samples were collected from 2,754 putatively healthy individuals with ages ranging from 30–65 years, and with personal or familial history of polyps, CRC and/or CR symptoms. sCD26 levels were measured by ELISA.Results: No association was found between the sCD26 concentration and age (< 50 and ≥ 50), the personal or familial history of polyps or CRC, rectal bleeding, haemorrhoids or diverticula. However, sCD26 was related to non-inflammatory benign pathologies (excluding rectal bleeding, changes in bowel habits, haemorrhoids, diverticula) and to inflammatory benign pathologies.Discussion: Our results confirm that the sCD26 can be easily offered and evaluated in a large cohort. Additionally, the validation of sCD26 as a tumour marker for screening and case-finding purposes requires a further comparison with an established non-invasive test like the faecal occult blood.