Article
Measurement of serum glial fibrillary acidic protein: GFAP – a serum marker for Glioblastoma?
Messung von saurem glialem Faserprotein im Serum: GFAP – ein Serummarker für Glioblastome?
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Published: | May 8, 2006 |
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Objective: Immunohistochemical staining of GFAP is routinely used as a marker for astroglial differentiation in the neuropathological diagnostic of brain tumors. A serum glioblastoma marker does not exist. We therefore sought to determine GFAP levels in serum of patients with glioblastoma and in healthy volunteers.
Methods: Serum GFAP levels and tumor size were determined in 49 patients with cerebral glioblastoma (30 male, 19 female; age: 64±12 years) and in 36 healthy volunteers (16 male; 20 female; 49±15 years). GFAP levels were measured using a human GFAP Elisa.
Results: Serum GFAP levels were detectable in patients with glioblastoma (0.36±0.76ng/ml) and were correlated with the tumor size (cc=0.43;p<0.01). Serum GFAP levels of healthy volunteers were significantly lower (0.003±0.002ng/ml; p<0.0001). Taking a serum GFAP level of 0.02ng/ml as the cut off point for the evaluation of sensitivity and specificity, glioblastoma were detectable with a sensitivity of 0.69 and a specificity of 1.0. The positive and negative predictive value was 1.0 and 0.71, respectively.
Conclusions: Serum GFAP levels are detectable in patients with glioblastoma and are correlated with the tumor size. Thus, serum GFAP levels may become a serum marker for glioblastoma.