Serum NDRG1 Concentrations in Newly Diagnosed Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Transitional Cell Carcinoma: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background: Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) represents a major proportion of newly diagnosed bladder cancer cases and remains associated with a substantial risk of recurrence. N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) is an intracellular protein involved in cellular differentiation, stress responses, and signaling pathways related to tumor biology. Although altered NDRG1 expression has been reported in bladder cancer, evidence regarding its circulating serum concentration in newly diagnosed NMIBC remains limited.
Objective: To compare serum NDRG1 concentrations between patients with histopathologically confirmed newly diagnosed non-muscle-invasive bladder transitional cell carcinoma (NMIBC-TCC) and healthy controls.
Materials and Methods: This hospital-based case-control study included 150 participants, comprising 75 patients with histopathologically confirmed newly diagnosed NMIBC-TCC and 75 apparently healthy controls. Serum NDRG1 concentrations were measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analyses were performed using the independent-samples Student’s t-test and the Chi-square test, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Patients with NMIBC-TCC were significantly older than healthy controls and included higher proportions of males and urban residents, whereas smoking status and family history did not differ significantly between the two groups. Mean serum NDRG1 concentration was marginally higher in patients than in controls (0.996 ± 0.127 vs. 0.965 ± 0.143 ng/mL); however, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.158).
Conclusion: Serum NDRG1 concentrations did not differ significantly between patients with newly diagnosed NMIBC-TCC and healthy controls. Further studies involving larger cohorts, different disease stages, and longitudinal follow-up are warranted to clarify the clinical and prognostic relevance of circulating NDRG1 in bladder cancer.