Serum human kallikrein 7 represents a new marker for cervical cancer

Our study was aimed to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of serum human tissue kallikrein 7 (KLK7) in cervical cancer. The study comprised of 78 patients with cervical cancer, 36 patients with benign cervical diseases, and 50 healthy controls. Serum KLK7 levels were determined using ELISA method. Receiver operating characteristic curve was performed to assess the diagnostic performance of serum KLK7. Survival curves by the Kaplan–Meier method were plotted to display overall survival distributions. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis were performed to assess independent prognostic factors for overall survival in cervical cancer. Serum KLK7 levels in cervical cancer patients were 3.13 ± 1.99 μg/ml, significantly higher than the values obtained from patients with benign cervical disease (1.40 ± 1.14 μg/ml; P < 0.001) and healthy controls (1.27 ± 0.73 μg/ml; P < 0.001), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of serum KLK7 for cervical cancer were 75.6, 80.2, 77.6, and 78.4 %, respectively. Serum KLK7 levels in patients with cervical cancer were significantly correlated with FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, and stromal invasion. When analyzed with a survival curve, high serum KLK7 level was correlated with poor prognosis. Our findings suggest that serum KLK7 may be a valuable diagnostic biomarker for cervical cancer, and may help to determine the individual prognosis of these patients.