Clinical value of serum PRDM16 in early diagnosis and prognosis assessment of lung adenocarcinoma

Background: The PR domain-containing 16 (PRDM16) is essential for the development of cardiomyopathy and some tumors. This study aimed to verify its expression level and clinical value for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) early diagnosis and prognosis. Methods and results: Public databases were searched to assess PRDM16 expression and its role in prognosis. PRDM16 expression was evaluated using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. We explored the relationship between PRDM16 levels and clinical characteristics. Early diagnosis and prognosis of PRDM16 alone or in conjunction with traditional tumor markers for utilizing an operating system and area under the curve (AUC). The UALCAN tool revealed low PRDM16 expression in LUAD tissues. Patients had a poorer overall survival. PRDM16 mRNA and protein levels were lower at the cellular, serum and tissues levels. Serum PRDM16 levels differed significantly between the groups in terms of tumor stage, size, and metastasis to the lymph nodes and organs. When PRDM16 was used to diagnose and assess prognosis of LUAD, the AUC reached 0.804 and 0.727, respectively. Interestingly, in predicting the early diagnosis and prognosis of LUAD, the AUC of the three markers (PRDM16, carcinoembryonic antigen, and carbohydrate antigen 125) reached 0.946 and 0.822, respectively. Conclusions: PRDM16 expression could be an effective parameter diagnosing and assessing the prognosis of LUAD. Serum PRDM16 may be a convenient way to identify LUAD, especially, when PRDM16 is combined with traditional tumor markers.