Objectives: The present study was carried out to evaluate the diagnostic role of
galectin 3 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 in 50 consecutive newly diagnosed colon
cancer patients, who presented to the Outpatient Clinic of the NCI over the period
2011-2012 and to compare their serum levels before treatment with those of 15
benign colon lesions patients, 15 normal controls subjects, and in 16 patients of the
cancer colon group after treatment. Also, to compare these studied markers with
CEA, CA 19.9 and some prognostic factors of cancer colon. Methods: Serum
concentration of CEA and CA19.9 were evaluated using Axsym and MMP9 and
Galectin 3 antigen were assessed using ELISA technique. Results: Serum levels of
MMP9, CEA ,and CA 19.9 showed highest results in the malignant group before
treatment, followed by the patient group with benign lesion, then the malignant group
after treatment and lastly comes the control group. While galectin 3 showed the
highest results in the malignant group, followed by the benign then the control and
lastly comes the after treatment group. Diagnostic performance of all the studied
markers at the chosen cutoffs, CEA (21 ng/ml), CA19.9 (58 U /ml), MMP9 (90.9
ng/ml) and galectin 3 (4.8 ng/ml),galectin 3 showed the highest sensitivity, followed
by CEA, and then CA19.9 and lastly MMP9 (96.9%, 92.3%, 81.5% and 75.4%
respectively). As regards specificity % CEA, CA19.9 and MMP9 showed 100%
specificity each, while galectin 3 showed relatively lower specificity % (90.3%).
Galectin 3 and CEA showed comparable high diagnostic accuracy (94.8%) followed
by CA19.9 (87.5%) then MMP9 (83.3%). On comparing diagnostic performance for
the studied tumor markers in double combinations, the best sensitivity (98.5 %) was
obtained when combining galectin 3 & CA19.9 at cut offs (4.8 ng/ml - 58 U /ml)
respectively and galectin 3 & MMP9 at cutoffs (4.8 ng/ml – 90.9ng/m) respectively.
As regards specificity, the double combination between CEA & CA19.9 at cut offs (21
ng/ml - 58 U /ml)) respectively and MMP9 & CA19.9 at cut offs (90.9 ng/ml - 58 U
/ml) respectively showed the highest specificity of 100% each, on studying the
correlation between all the studied tumor markers, there were significant positive
correlations between CEA & CA19.9 , CEA & Galectin 3, CEA & MMP9, CA19.9 &
Galectin 3, CA19.9 & MMP9 and MMP9 & Galectin 3 (p=0.0001) each.