Circulating Progranulin: A Promising Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Canine Oncology

TL;DR

This study shows that measuring progranulin (PGRN) in dog blood can help detect and predict the severity of tumors, offering a new tool for canine cancer care.

Contribution

The study introduces PGRN as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for canine tumors, previously unexplored in veterinary medicine.

Findings

Dogs with tumors had significantly higher PGRN levels than healthy dogs, with 90.91% sensitivity for tumor detection.

PGRN levels were higher in malignant tumors and could distinguish metastatic from non-metastatic tumors.

Elevated PGRN levels correlated with poor prognosis, particularly in malignant and metastatic cases.

Abstract

Progranulin (PGRN) is a versatile growth factor involved in numerous physiological processes, and its dysregulation has been implicated in the development of various diseases. Notably, its overexpression has been identified in human cancers, where it significantly contributes to tumor progression. However, until now, no veterinary studies have explored the clinical value of measuring serum PGRN levels in dogs diagnosed with tumors. This study suggests that PGRN is promising both as an early diagnostic and a prognostic biomarker for canine tumors. PGRN exhibited high sensitivity for tumor detection, indicating that it may have potential as an effective screening biomarker. Additionally, it proved valuable in distinguishing between metastatic and non-metastatic tumors. Prognostically, increased levels of PGRN correlated with unfavorable outcomes, notably linked to malignancy and metastasis. These results highlight PGRN’s potential as an important biomarker for diagnostic and prognostic evaluation in canine oncology.

Progranulin (PGRN) is a pluripotent growth factor that has shown promise as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for various neoplastic conditions in humans. This study aims to explore the PGRN as a novel biomarker for diagnosing and predicting the prognosis in canine tumors. Dogs (n = 104) with tumors as the chief complaint were selected and classified based on clinical categorization, malignancy, and metastasis. The control group (n = 30) consisted of healthy dogs with no evidence of neoplastic diseases. Serum PGRN levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Dogs with tumors exhibited significantly elevated PGRN levels compared to control dogs (p < 0.0001), with a high sensitivity of 90.91%. Malignant tumors demonstrated markedly higher PGRN levels relative to the control group (p = 0.0012), while no significant difference was found between benign tumors and the control group. Additionally, serum PGRN was identified as a significant marker for differentiating metastatic tumors from non-metastatic ones (p = 0.0264). PGRN exhibited high sensitivity for tumor detection, suggesting that it may serve as a screening biomarker. Prognostically, increased PGRN correlated with unfavorable outcomes, notably linked to malignancy and metastasis. This study underscores the potential of PGRN as a novel biomarker with early diagnostic and prognostic value in canine oncology.

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