Abstract

Background: Osteosarcoma is the most frequent malignant bone tumor in pediatric patients occurring in the second decade of life between ages 10 and 15. An understanding of the balance between innate immunity, tumor angiogenesis and thyroid hormone status may assist in pediatric osteosarcoma diagnostics and therapeutics. Serum tumor markers open up new prospects for early diagnosis and treatment of pediatric osteosarcoma.

Objectives: The aim of this work was to investigate the possible role of natural IgM antibodies to angiogenin (ANG-IgM) as an early biomolecule involved in the progression of pediatric osteosarcoma and identify the combination of serum markers differentiating between osteosarcoma patients and healthy individuals.

Methods: We studied 50 pediatric patients newly diagnosed with osteosarcoma (average age 14.5 years). The comparative group consisted of 50 patients with other types of pediatric bone tumors matched for age, gender and ethnicity. In addition, a healthy control group including 50 age- and sex-matched children was included in the study. Serum ANG-IgM levels were determined by novel ELISA technique (INR, Mexico City, Mexico). Serum fT3 levels were measured using a commercial ELISA kit (Diagnostic Automation, INC. CA, USA) according to the manufacturer’s protocols.

Results: The level of ANG-IgM was higher in all types of bone tumors compared to normal healthy children. No significant difference was detected in the level of ANG-IgM among boys and girls. Statistically significant difference was found across the different types of bone tumors. Significant correlation was observed between serum levels of ANG-IgM and fT3 in children.

Conclusions: Combinations of ANG-IgM and fT3 may be administered together. The potential effect of an intrinsic dynamic balance of tumor angiogenesis residing within a single hormone (fT3) is an attractive concept for regulation of osteosarcoma vascularization.

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