Between 2020 and 2023, a prospective study was conducted at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center in Guangzhou to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Apo10 and TKTL1 in detecting cervical cancer. The biomarkers were analyzed both individually and in combination – the latter referred to as the APT value, representing the combined diagnostic signal of both markers. Detection was carried out using the EDIM (Epitope Detection in Monocytes) method, which measures marker expression in blood macrophages.
Blood samples from 152 patients with histologically confirmed cervical cancer and 152 healthy, age-matched controls were examined. The study aimed to assess whether the markers could differentiate between healthy individuals and patients with cervical cancer.
The results showed that both Apo10 and TKTL1 were significantly elevated in patients with cervical cancer compared to the control group. The combined APT value demonstrated a sensitivity of 86.2% and a specificity of 83.6%.
For comparison, the study also evaluated established tumor markers commonly used in clinical practice for cervical cancer – including CEA, CA125, and SCC-A. In direct comparison, the APT value achieved substantially higher diagnostic accuracy.
The authors emphasize that the combined marker signal performed particularly well in early-stage patients, suggesting potential utility in early cancer detection.
Conclusion:
The findings provide strong evidence that the combination of Apo10 and may offer a promising approach to the non-invasive early detection of cervical cancer.
Particularly in cases in which cytological procedures such as the Pap test or HPV detection do not provide clear results, a complementary blood test for Apo10 and TKTL1 could help to increase diagnostic certainty. The approach may also represent a meaningful addition to existing diagnostic tools in healthcare settings with limited access to cytological or imaging-based screening.
In addition, the authors highlight potential applications in advanced healthcare systems, particularly in the diagnostic clarification of HPV-negative or cytologically indeterminate findings.
Source: Apo10 and TKTL1 in blood macrophages as non-invasive biomarkers for early detection of cervical cancer
PRESS CONTACT
Ralf Geissler
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Email: welcome[at]jahrreiss.com
About Zyagnum: The Darmstadt-based biotechnology company Zyagnum AG develops diagnostic solutions for human medicine. Zyagnum has a profound understanding of immunological processes and their connection with diseases. For example, the EDIM® technology developed by Zyagnum can be used in blood tests to detect specific antigens in immune cells that may play a role in tumour development. Today, the company employs more than 50 people and was founded by Zyagnum CEO Ralf Schierl together with Johannes Coy in 2007.
Website: https://www.zyagnum.com/
About EDIM®: When the human organism derails and runs towards disease, the immune system is often the first to recognise this, often before any symptoms. The platform technology we have developed, EDIM® (Epitope Detection in Monocytes), uses the mechanisms of the immune system to detect such derailments. The EDIM® technology examines macrophages for antigens that have previously been taken up into the cell interior by these immune cells through phagocytosis – this is why we also call EDIM® an immunological biopsy.
About PanTum Detect®: PanTum Detect® is a cancer screening blood test for the early detection of tumors. By means of a simple blood sample, it can provide indications of almost all cancer types in early, symptom-free stages – even for tumor types for which there are currently no established statutory early detection examinations. PanTum Detect® is based on EDIM® technology and detects the enzymes TKTL1 and DNaseX (Apo10), which both are increasingly produced in many tumors. PanTum Detect® does not diagnose cancer but provides indications of a potential cancer to be localized and confirmed in follow-up examinations (e.g. by imaging procedures such as MRI or PET/CT and histopathological procedures). PanTum Detect® has a sensitivity of 95.2% and a specificity of 99.5%.
*All cancers that form solid tumors (“solid cancers”). “Solid cancers” refers to tumors that grow as solid masses in an organ or tissue. Solid tumors are distinct from hematologic cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, which arise in cells of the blood or lymphatic system and do not form solid tumor masses.