T1 bladder cancer is known for its high progression and recurrence rates. Identifying aggressive tumours at the non-muscle-invasive stage is crucial to allow early interventions and subsequently increase patient survival. This study aimed to investigate the potential of the cubilin/myeloperoxidase (CUBN/MPO) ratio as a high-grade T1 bladder cancer biomarker.
Urine samples were collected from 30 patients who underwent transurethral resection of the tumour with high-grade T1 bladder cancer (June 2015 to December 2019) before surgery. The urinary proteome was analysed using high-resolution mass spectrometry and the CUBN/MPO ratio was calculated. The primary outcome was the recurrence during the follow-up (around 31.5 months after resection). Univariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier curves were used for data analysis.
Patients with a low CUBN/MPO ratio exhibited upregulated MPO and/or downregulated CUBN. This group of patients had a higher incidence of disease recurrence and progression. Low CUBN/MPO ratio was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of recurrence, progression, and death. It is worth noting that this study was exploratory and conducted on a small sample size, so further research is needed to validate these findings in larger cohorts.
This study highlights the potential of the CUBN/MPO ratio as a prognostic biomarker for high-grade T1 bladder cancer.
International urology and nephrology. 2024 Mar 26 [Epub ahead of print]
Mariana Silva Medeiros, Luís André Botelho de Carvalho, Marta Alves, Ana Papoila, Hugo Miguel Baptista Carreira Dos Santos, José-Luis Capelo-Martínez, Luís Manuel Viegas de Campos Pinheiro
Department of Urology, Central Lisbon University Hospital Centre, Lisbon, Portugal. ., Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Caparica, Portugal., Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, Research Centre, Central Lisbon University Hospital Centre, Lisbon, Portugal., Department of Urology, Central Lisbon University Hospital Centre, Lisbon, Portugal.