Daniel Gilbert Weber¹, Georg Johnen¹, Dirk Taeger¹, Anne Weber¹, Isabelle Mercedes Gross¹, Beate Pesch¹, Thomas Kraus², Thomas Brüning¹ and Monika Gube²

¹BGFA—Research Institute of Occupational Medicine, German Social Accident Insurance, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany. ²Institute for Occupational and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.  

Abstract

The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate if serum levels of potential tumor markers for the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer are affected by confounding factors in a surveillance cohort of workers formerly exposed to asbestos. SMRP, CA125, and CYFRA21-1 concentrations were determined in about 1,700 serum samples from 627 workers formerly exposed to asbestos. The impact of factors that could modify the concentrations of the tumor markers was examined with linear mixed models. SMRP values increased with age 1.02-fold (95% CI 1.01–1.03) and serum creatinine concentration 1.32-fold (95% CI 1.20–1.45). Levels differed by study centers and were higher after 40 years of asbestos exposure. CA125 levels increased with longer storage of the samples. CYFRA21-1 values correlated with age 1.02-fold (95% CI 1.01–1.02), serum creatinine 1.21-fold (95% CI 1.14–1.30) and varied by study centers due to differences in sample handling. Tumor marker concentrations are influenced by subject-related factors, sample handling, and storage. These factors need to be taken into account in screening routine.