Plasma Chemokine C-C Motif Ligand 2 as a Potential Biomarker for Prostate Cancer

Serum levels of the polypeptide chemokine C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2) have previously shown potential as a prostate cancer diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. Plasma CCL2 levels may be superior to serum levels as a biomarker because of their potentially lower signal-to-noise ratio. Before initiating a large comparative study of plasma and serum CCL2 levels, we performed a prospective, diagnostic pilot study Of 133 individuals from a clinically relevant population. CCL2 plasma levels were measured using a validated assay kit. Plasma was obtained independently of digital rectal examination. In this pilot study, we found no relationship between CCL2 plasma values and risk of proven prostate cancer, whereas previous studies found a strong diagnostic relationship between CCL2 serum values and prostate cancer. Our contribution to the existing literature strengthens the idea that early in the pathological process, CCL2 mainly circulates in large, membrane-enclosed compartments, whereas plasma CCL2 levels increase markedly during disease progression. We conclude that whereas plasma CCL2 levels are not useful as a diagnostic measure, a ratio of CCL2 plasma to serum levels may prove useful as a marker of disease progression, which warrants further study.