Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

Background: TEM1 represents a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on developing as well as adult tissues going through active physiological or pathological angiogenesis. This work was aimed at assessing TEM1 levels as a diagnostic as well as prognostic serum biomarker among CRC cases.

Methods: Our case- control study involved sixty subjects. Subjects underwent a categorization into the following groups: Group І: Colorectal cancer patients (n=30): diagnosed with CRC. Group II: control group (n=30): healthy individuals free of colorectal cancer as a control group. Tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as well as carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), TEM1, histological grading of tumor, specific investigations, abdomen ultrasonography, CT and MRI were performed to all participants.

Results: The serum TEM1 levels exhibited significantly greater values within in CRC group as opposed to the control group. Serum TEM1 levels also showed significantly greater values within CRC cases having grade III+IV as opposed to others having tumor grade I + II, tumor size T₃+T₄ than those with tumor size T₁ +T₂, lymph node (LN) infiltration N1 + N2 than those without LN infiltration N0, tumor metastases M1 than those without tumor metastases M0 and tumor metastases (TNM) stage (III) than those with TNM stage (I+II).

Conclusion: Serum TEM1 levels exhibited a significant rise in CRC cases, which suggested that serum TEM1 could bring potential benefits as a diagnostic biomarker for CRC. High serum TEM1 levels were significantly linked to poor clinicopathological features. Therefore, it is an adverse indicator for CRC prognosis, and it could be used as a prognostic marker of malignancy.