ATP-Citrate Lyase: A Prognostic Marker of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Dictates the Progression of Adenocarcinoma in Indian Population.

Tissue biopsies are routinely used for identifying driver mutations in tumors but limitations such as tumor heterogeneity have encouraged the use of liquid biopsies for the identification of new biomarkers. ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) has been recognized as a potential target for tumor inhibition due to its overexpression in several cancers. However, the clinical significance of this enzyme remains unknown in liquid biopsies. In this study, 31 pleural effusion fluid samples were collected from patients suspected of malignancy for analyzing the gene expression of ACLY and associated metabolic enzymes. Gene expression profiling by RT-PCR revealed significantly increased ACLY mRNA levels along with other metabolic enzymes (FASN, ACC, CS, and ICD1) in malignant lung adenocarcinoma pleural fluid samples indicating that ACLY plays a critical role in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma. This study identified the potential of using metabolic enzymes as biomarkers in identification of lung adenocarcinoma patients. The observations highlighted the significance of lipogenic enzymes mainly ACLY and fatty acid synthase as diagnostic markers in lung adenocarcinoma liquid biopsies.