An exploratory study of circulating cell-free mRNAs across colorectal cancer stages

This study evaluated circulating mRNAs (B2M, TIMP-1, CLU, SERPINE1, GAL3, and S100A9) as potential biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC). Plasma levels were measured in CRC patients (stages I–IV, n = 178) and healthy individuals (HIs, n = 171). B2M, TIMP-1, CLU, and S100A9 mRNA levels were significantly elevated in CRC patients vs. HIs. B2M differed only in stage IV, while TIMP-1, CLU, and S100A9 showed significance across all stages except I. A composite index, I-BTC, was developed using B2M, TIMP-1, and CLU via logistic regression. I-BTC improved discrimination between HIs and CRC patients, even at stage I ( p = 0.001), with stronger significance in later stages ( p ≤ 0.0001). These results validate analytical robustness of the method and highlight its diagnostic potential including for early-stage CRC through specific mRNAs combinations.