Development of aberrant glycosylation of serum immunoglublin for urothelial carcinoma diagnosis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K16748
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56030:Urology-related
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Toshikazu 弘前大学, 医学研究科, 客員研究員 (50793650)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 尿路上皮癌 / イムノグロブリン / N型糖鎖 / 糖鎖変異

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Diagnosis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (bladder and renal pelvis/ureteral carcinoma) is performed by urine cytology, imaging, invasive cystoscopy, and ureteroscopic, but both sensitivity and specificity are not sufficient and there is no minimally invasive and effective biomarker. In this study, we quantified 26 N-type glycans of immunoglobulin (Ig) fractions using a capillary electrophoresis rapid glycan analyzer and constructed a diagnosis or recurrence prediction score of upper tract urothelial carcinoma by comprehensive pathway analysis using an AI data robot. Retrospective analysis showed that the AUC of constructed diagnostic score was more than 0.95 and the recurrence prediction score was more than 0.78, showing higher accuracy than conventinal markers. The usefulness of this diagnostic and recurrence score is currently under prospective investigation.

Free Research Field

泌尿器科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

尿路上皮癌（膀胱癌および腎盂・尿管癌）の診断は尿細胞診、画像診断、侵襲を伴う膀胱鏡、尿管鏡下生検によって行われているが、感度、特異度ともに十分な状態ではなく、低侵襲かつ有効なバイオマーカーもない。本研究で構築された診断および再発予測スコアの有用性が明らかになることで、は尿路上皮癌、特に進行状態で発見される腎盂・尿管癌の早期発見に寄与し、治療効果向上のみならず不必要な侵襲的検査の減少につながる可能性がある。尿路上皮癌の早期発見および再発予測による適切な治療介入が可能となり、より適切な尿路上皮癌のマネージメントを可能にする学術的にも社会的にも意義が高い研究である。