A case-control study exploring the role of serum manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) levels in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND: The role of serum manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in the development of gastric cancer has not been clearly defined. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study to address the potential relationship between serum MnSOD levels and gastric cancer. Cases were 275 gastric cancer patients and controls were 275 sex- and age-matched healthy persons. Serum MnSOD levels were determined by a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The mean(+/- standard deviation) of serum MnSOD levels was 177.4 +/- 87.3 ng/mL among cases and 169.4 +/- 56.7 ng/mL among controls. Gastric cancer patients had slightly higher serum MnSOD levels than the controls. After adjustment for pack-years of cigarette smoking and Helicobacter pylori infection, the odds ratio was 1.54(95% confidence interval; 0.79-3.01) for subjects in the highest quartile versus the lowest quartile. No significant differences were observed for serum MnSOD levels in gastric cancer patients according to clinicopathological factors such as disease stage, histological type, venous invasion, and lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that serum MnSOD levels are not significantly associated with the increased risk of gastric cancer, although a weak association may exist.