Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 28, 2024; 30(4): 421-423
Published online Jan 28, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i4.421
Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B2: A promising biomarker for colorectal cancer
Wen-Zhuo Zhao, Hong-Gang Wang, Xiao-Zhong Yang
Wen-Zhuo Zhao, Hong-Gang Wang, Xiao-Zhong Yang, Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Huai'an No. 1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an 223300, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: Zhao WZ wrote the letter; Wang HG revised the letter; and Yang XZ contributed to the study design, manuscript revision, supervision of the study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xiao-Zhong Yang, MD, PhD, Chief Doctor, Doctor, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Huaian No. 1 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 1 Huanghe Road, Huai’an 223300, Jiangsu Province, China. hayyyxzh@njmu.edu.cn
Received: October 17, 2023
Peer-review started: October 17, 2023
First decision: December 6, 2023
Revised: December 15, 2023
Accepted: January 10, 2024
Article in press: January 10, 2024
Published online: January 28, 2024
Processing time: 101 Days and 4.2 Hours
Abstract

According to the latest global cancer statistics, colorectal cancer (CRC) has emerged as the third most prevalent malignant tumor across the globe. In recent decades, the medical field has implemented several levels of CRC screening tests, encompassing fecal tests, endoscopic examinations, radiological examinations and blood tests. Previous studies have shown that leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B2 (LILRB2) is involved in inhibiting immune cell function, immune evasion, and promoting tumor progression in acute myeloid leukemia and non-small cell lung cancer. However, its interaction with CRC has not been reported yet. Recently, a study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology revealed that LILRB2 and its ligand, angiopoietin-like protein 2, are markedly overexpressed in CRC. This overexpression is closely linked to tumor progression and is indicative of a poor prognosis. The study highlights the potential of utilizing the concentration of LILRB2 in serum as a promising biomarker for tumors. However, there is still room for discussion regarding the data processing and analysis in this research.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B2; Angiopoietin-like protein 2; Therapeutic target; Noninvasive screening biomarker

Core Tip: In this study, it has been extensively demonstrated that there is an overexpression of leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B2 (LILRB2) and its ligand angiopoietin-like protein 2 in colorectal cancer tissues. Furthermore, these proteins have been found to be closely associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis. The author conducted an analysis of LILRB2 serum concentration using 313 serum samples and compared its advantages and disadvantages with traditional tumor markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 199. However, we believe that certain aspects of data collection and analysis in the article warrant further consideration. Therefore, we would like to discuss our perspective on this intriguing research.