Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the most common and fatal cancer types worldwide. Herein, we explored neuritin 1 (NRN1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3) as minimally invasive biomarkers of GC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The NRN1 and TNFAIP3 mRNA levels in the peripheral blood samples of 42 patients with GC were compared with 12 individuals with no cancer diagnosis, and monitored after gastrectomy. RESULTS: NRN1 expression was elevated in patients compared with controls (p<0.01), and was able to discriminate between these groups (area under the curve=0.72, p=0.02). After resection of the primary tumor, NRN1 expression decreased (p<0.01), reaching levels observed in controls. TNFAIP3 expression showed no difference between patients and controls, nor postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Peripheral blood-based NRN1 expression can be used as a minimally invasive biomarker for GC detection and postoperative monitoring.