Are serum levels of CD44 relevant in children with pediatric sarcomas?

Background Variation in serum levels of CD44, which acts as an adhesion receptor involved in lymphocyte migration and binding, have been reported in some malignancies. The aim of this study is to compare serum levels of CD44 in children with sarcomas with those in healthy children. Procedure CD44 levels were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum samples taken at diagnosis from 55 children with sarcomas and from 27 healthy children of similar age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Results There was no statistically significant difference between CD44 serum levels of children with sarcomas and those of healthy children. No significant difference was observed between CD44 serum levels of each patient group and those of control group (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference among CD44 serum levels of patient groups according to stage or outcome. Conclusions In this study, serum CD44 levels were not found to be of value in the diagnosis or prognosis in children with sarcomas. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.