A STUDY OF DYSPROTEINEMIA AND FIBRINOLYSIS IN PATIENTS WITH UROLOGIC CANCERS

Abstract

Plasma proteins, serum CRP, red cell sedimentation rate, fibrinolytic activity and antiplasmin in blood have been studied in 55 patients with urologic malignancies (transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder; 30 cases, secondary carcinoma of the bladder; 11 cases, renal cell carcinoma; 10 cases, transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter; 4 cases) with special reference to the extent and metastasis of the tumor.
A higher frequency of dysproteinemia and of abnormal level in the other examinations was observed in patients with metastases or wide-spread infiltrating carcinoma, while the indefinite tendency for significant change in their levels was noted in patients with bladder carcinoma of Stages A and B showing relatively localized growth within the bladder wall.
Among the laboratory findings an abnormal increase of plasma fibrinogen level was most closely related to progressive conditions of the carcinomas, including the remote metastases and advanced regional growth. No significant difference was observed between the pre-and post-operative levels of each examination in any group of the carcinomas. However, the levels of serum albumin, α₁-, α₂- and γ-globulins, red cell sedimentation rate, plasma fibrinogen and euglobulin lysis time showed a significant difference between the groups of metastatic and non-metastatic carcinoma, respectively. It was thought that the follow-up study using these 7 laboratory tests may be of predective value for the progressive development of the tumor.