A disintegrin and metallopeptidase domain (ADAM) 12, ADAM 17 mRNA and ADAM10 protein hold potential as biomarkers for detection of early gastric cancer (EGC)

Q: Why are biomarkers needed for early gastric cancer (EGC)?

EGC survival depends strongly on stage, and early detection is critical. Current screening relies on endoscopic examinations, which are invasive, so effective noninvasive biomarkers are required.

Q: What markers were evaluated in this study?

The study assessed ADAM8, ADAM9, ADAM10, ADAM12, and ADAM17 mRNA, and ADAM10 protein. MICA (an NKG2D ligand) is discussed as part of the related immune axis.

Q: What were the main diagnostic findings in blood samples?

ADAM12 mRNA, ADAM17 mRNA, and ADAM10 protein were significantly elevated in EGC patients compared with healthy controls. ROC analyses produced AUC values around 0.76–0.81, supporting screening potential.

Sep 24, 2026

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Early gastric cancer requires reliable noninvasive biomarkers, yet no biomarker currently screens effectively. This study investigates ADAM8, ADAM9, ADAM10, ADAM12, ADAM17 mRNA and ADAM10 protein, linking them to an ADAM–NKG2D immune axis. In silico TCGA analyses show higher ADAM transcript levels in EGC tissues, and blood measurements demonstrate elevated ADAM12, ADAM17 mRNA, and ADAM10 protein in patients versus healthy controls. Receiver-operating characteristic performance supports biomarker potential and motivates further validation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Biomarker rationale for early gastric cancer

Study design: TCGA screening and blood validation

Results in tissues and peripheral blood

Diagnostic performance (ROC analysis)

ADAM–NKG2D immune axis background

[www. nature.com/scientificreports](www. nature.com/scientificreports) OPEN A disintegrin and metallopeptidase domain (ADAM) 12, ADAM 17 mRNA and ADAM10 protein hold potential as biomarkers for detection of early gastric cancer Sooyeon Oh1,2,6, Sang-Soo Lee3,6, Hoeyoung Jin3,6, Seo-Hyeon Choi3, Choong-Keun Cha1, Jooho Lee4, KyuBum Kwack3,6􀀍, Sang Gyun Kim5,6􀀍 & Sang-Woon Choi1 No biomarker can effectively screen for early gastric cancer (EGC) . Players in theA disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM)-natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D) receptor axis may have a role for that. As a proof-of-concept pilot study, the expression of ADAM8, ADAM9, ADAM10, ADAM12, ADAM17, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I chain-related sequence A (MICA), a ligand for NKG2D, in gastric cancer was investigated in silico using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Subsequently, the mRNA and protein expression levels of these markers except ADAM8 were tested in blood samples from patients with EGC and healthy controls. In theTCGA data analyses, EGC tissues (n = 57) expressed significantly higher mRNA levels of ADAM8, ADAM9, ADAM10, ADAM12, and ADAM17 than normal tissues (n = 35) (p < 0.005) . In human blood sample analyses, ADAM12 (p = 0.0007), ADAM17 mRNA (p < 0.0001) and ADAM10 (p < 0.0017 ) protein were significantly elevated in patients with EGC (n = 27 for mRNA and n = 25 for protein) compared to the controls (n = 30 for mRNA and n = 26 for protein). Areas under the curves calculated by receiver-operating characteristic analysis for ADAM12, ADAM17 mRNA and ADAM10 protein were 0.7568 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6334 to 0.8802), 0.8062 (95% CI: 0.6889 to 0.9234; p < 0.0001), and 0.8108 (95% CI: 0.6895 to 0.9320; p = 0.0001), respectively. Thus, ADAM12, ADAM17 mRNA and ADAM10 protein levels in peripheral blood could hold potential as biomarkers for screening EGC, and further investigations are required. Keywords ADAM12, ADAM17, ADAM10, Gastric cancer, Biomarker Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer death1. The survival of patients with gastric cancer differs widely depending on the stage. The 5-year survival rate of patients with gastric cancer is over 70% for localized tumors, 30% for regional tumors, and less than 5% for tumors with distant metastasis2. Furthermore, recurrence rate is 4.0% after endoscopic resection and 0.8% after surgical resection of early gastric cancer (EGC)3. Thus, early detection is critical for survival, and continuous effort to detect recurrence early even after resection is required. There is no noninvasive biomarker that can effectively screen for early-stage gastric cancer. Current screening methods for gastric cancer rely on endoscopic examinations. Although endoscopic examination is very safe, potential risks due to its invasiveness necessitate the development of noninvasive biomarkers. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM)-natural killer group 2 member D receptor (NKG2D) axis may serve as a new source for cancer diagnostics. NKG2D, an activating receptor of natural killer (NK) cells, and its ligands, NKG2DL, expressed on cancer cells function as an immune checkpoint where cancer cells should be 1Chaum Life Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seoul 06062, Korea. 2Graduate school of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea. 3Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Korea. 4Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam 13496, Korea. 5Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea. 6Sooyeon Oh, Sang-Soo Lee, Hoeyoung Jin, KyuBum Kwack and Sang Gyun Kim contributed equally to this work. 􀀍 email: [kbkwack@cha.ac.kr](kbkwack@cha.ac.kr); [harley@s

FAQs

Why are biomarkers needed for early gastric cancer (EGC)?

EGC survival depends strongly on stage, and early detection is critical. Current screening relies on endoscopic examinations, which are invasive, so effective noninvasive biomarkers are required.

What markers were evaluated in this study?

The study assessed ADAM8, ADAM9, ADAM10, ADAM12, and ADAM17 mRNA, and ADAM10 protein. MICA (an NKG2D ligand) is discussed as part of the related immune axis.

What were the main diagnostic findings in blood samples?

ADAM12 mRNA, ADAM17 mRNA, and ADAM10 protein were significantly elevated in EGC patients compared with healthy controls. ROC analyses produced AUC values around 0.76–0.81, supporting screening potential.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia