Mr. Amir Asghary, Dr. Marie Saghaeian Jazi, Dr. Seyed Mostafa Mir, Dr. Abbas Doulani, Prof. Hamid Reza Joshaghani,
Volume 20, Issue 2 (6-2026)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Gastric cancer (GC), particularly adenocarcinoma, remains a global health burden with high mortality due to late-stage diagnosis and limited reliable biomarkers for disease monitoring. Lipid metabolism plays a crucial role in tumor biology, and serum lipid-related markers, including apolipoproteins, have been suggested as potential non-invasive indicators of tumor progression. This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum lipid profiles and tumor stage and histological grade in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.
Methods: Fifty patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma were enrolled. Serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C, ApoA1, and ApoB were measured. Patients were categorized into early (stages I–II) and advanced (stages III–IV) tumor stages, as well as into moderately differentiated versus poorly differentiated grades. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess data normality. Parametric and non-parametric tests were applied accordingly. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: ApoB was the only parameter showing a significant association with tumor stage. Patients with advanced-stage GC had significantly lower mean ApoB levels compared to those in early stages (52.4 ± 2.6 vs. 63.4 ± 5.2 mg/dl, p = 0.042). No statistically significant differences were observed in ApoA1, HDL-C, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, or VLDL, for either tumor stage or histological grade.
Conclusion: ApoB levels appear to decline with advancing tumor stage in gastric adenocarcinoma, suggesting a potential role as a marker to evaluate disease burden. While no association was found with tumor grade, further validation in larger prospective studies incorporating metabolic and inflammatory covariates is warranted.
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