New Diagnostic Biomarker-Soluble Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptor A2 (EphA2) for colon cancer

To evaluate the association between soluble erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptor A₂ (EphA₂) levels and the patients’ tumor stage, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis. This study was planned at a tertiary health institute from May 2020 to October 2020 as prospective observational study after ethical committee approval. Samples were taken from 90 colon cancer patients and 40 healthy volunteers matched for age and sex. All samples were centrifuged to eliminate components and stored at −80° C until testing. Serum levels of the EphA₂ were measured with sandwich ELISA. The mean age of the control group was 63.48 years (55–0 years; 19 men and 21 women), while the mean age of patient’s group was 64.09 (range from 57 to 70 years; 46 men and 44 women). There was no difference between patient and control group according to age and gender (p>0.05). The mean value of serum EphA₂ was 194.75 ng/mL in the control group and 2622.39 ng/mL in the colon cancer patients (p<0.001). EPHA₂ level was significantly higher in the patients with tumor diameter over 30 mm (p<0.001). In addition, EPHA₂ levels were higher in patients with advanced TNM stage, deeply invasive tumors, multiple lymph node metastases, and distant metastasis (p<0.001). From the result of this study, EPHA₂ levels can be a diagnostic marker and can be used to differentiate cancer stages (to distinguish stages I–III from stage IV). It is also the first study investigating the relationship between EPHA₂ levels and colon cancer.