Expression of two essential mRNA biomarker in the peripheral blood as possible biomarkers for diagnosis of non small cell lung carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Despite medical advances, lung cancer often remains undiagnosed until advanced stages mainly due to the lack of specific tumor markers. This study sought to assess vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA biomarkers in the peripheral blood of non‑small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients for possible use in diagnosis and early screening of these patients.  METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were drawn of 30 NSCLC patients and 30 healthy controls; RNA was extracted and of each RNA sample, cDNA was synthesized in triplicate. Real‑time quantitative reverse‑transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR ) was used to quantify VEG F and CEA mRNA biomarkers. RESULTS: Of all patients, 86.6% (26 out of 30) were positive for VEG F mRNA; this rate was 13.3% (4 out of 30) in healthy controls. Of all patients, 90% (27 out of 30) were positive for CEA mRNA; this rate was 33.3% (10 out of 30) in healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results, VEGF and CEA mRNA seem to be beneficial biomarkers for the diagnosis of NSCLC using peripheral blood samples. However, simultaneous use of several molecular biomarkers is proposed to achieve more reliable results.