Nucleosome assembly protein 1-like 1 (NAP1L1) in gastric cancer patients: a potential biomarker with diagnostic and prognostic utility

Abstract

Background

The nucleosome assembly protein 1-like 1 (NAP1L1) is suggested to have an oncogenic role in several tumors based on its overexpression. However, its diagnostic and prognostic role in gastric cancer remains unclarified. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic utility of NAP1L1 in gastric cancer patients.

Methods

A total of 85 patients [mean (SD) age: 60.9 (1.6) years, 49.4% were males] with newly-diagnosed gastric cancer and 40 healthy individuals [mean (SD) age: 60.7 (1.7) years, 52.5% were males] were included. Data on patient demographics (age, gender), TNM stages and tumor size, and the serum NAP1L1 levels were recorded.

Results

Serum NAP1L1 levels were significantly higher in gastric cancer patients than in control subjects [12 (9.5–13.8) vs. 1.8 (1.5–2.4) ng/mL, p < 0.001]. Also, certain tumor characteristics such as tumor size of >4 vs. <4 cm (p < 0.001), M1 vs. M0 stage (p < 0.001), N2 vs. N0 and N1 stage (p < 0.001), and T4 vs. lower T stage (p < 0.001) were associated with significantly higher serum NAP1L1 levels in gastric cancer patients.

Conclusions

Our findings revealed for the first time that serum levels for NAP1L1 were overexpressed in the gastric cancer, as also correlated with the disease progression. NAP1L1 seems to be a potential biomarker for gastric cancer, providing clinically important information on early diagnosis and risk stratification.

Clinical significance

• This study aimed to investigate serum levels for nucleosome assembly protein 1-like 1 (NAP1L1) in patients with gastric cancer in relation to healthy controls and tumor pathology.

• It was demonstrated for the first time that serum levels for NAP1L1 were overexpressed in the gastric cancer, as also correlated with the disease progression.

• These findings seem to implicate the potential role of serum NAP1L1 as a distinct diagnostic and prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer, offering clinically important information on early diagnosis and risk stratification.

Keywords:

• Gastric cancer
• NAP1L1
• marker
• early diagnosis
• risk stratification

Author contributions

GG, MAA, and OK contributed to the conception/design of the research; GG, MAA, RK, and SA contributed to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of the data; GG, SA, and RK drafted the manuscript; OK and MAA critically revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, GG, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.