Increased Soluble CMG2 Serum Protein Concentration is Associated with the Progression of Prostate Carcinoma

Abstract

Prostate carcinoma (PCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in males, but biomarkers for the prognosis are rare. Capillary morphogenesis gene 2 (CMG2) is a modulator of extracellular matrix remodeling during angiogenesis. Four isoforms of CMG2 have been described so far, one secreted in the serum as soluble CMG2 (sCMG2). The aim of this study was to evaluate the sCMG2 serum concentrations in 179 PCa patients and 163 age-matched control subjects by ELISA and correlate it to clinical and demographic parameters. We observed that sCMG2 concentration is increased in the serum of PCa patients with metastases, while no significant differences in the concentrations were detected between the control subjects and patients with localized PCa. Furthermore, elevated sCMG2 concentrations were significantly associated with the highest T stage. Increased sCMG2 serum concentrations tended to be associated with a worsened overall and disease-specific survival of the PCa patients. In conclusion, sCMG2 may be an interesting additive biomarker for the prediction of the progression of PCa and the patients’ outcome.