THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF TISSUE POLYPEPTIDE ANTIGEN (TPA) IN THE SERUM, URINE AND TUMOR TISSUE OF UROLOGIC CANCER PATIENTS

Abstract

TPA value have been evaluated in the serum, urine and tumor tissue of patients with urologic cancer. Serum and urinary TPA was determined by the Prolif igen TPA (¹²⁵I) Radioimmunoassay. Tissue TPA was observed by Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase method.
Serum TPA values were measured in 43 patients with bladder cancer, 34 with prostatic cancer, 12 with renal cell carcinoma. The positive rate of S-TPA in each group was 65.1% in bladder cancer, 78.6% in prostatic cancer, 58.3% in renal cell carcinoma. S-TPA level elevated significantly by recurrence or distant metastasis in bladder cancer patients who had undergone resection of whole bladder. Fairly good correlation was obaerved between S-TPA and the efficacy of given therapy in patients with prostatic cancer.
Urinary TPA values were measured in 12 healthy cotrols and 16 with bladder cancer. The mean value of was 48U/gCr in the control group and 2940 U/gCr in the bladder cancer group. Determination of urinary TPA may be a useful tumor marker in diagnosis and post treatment monitoring of bladder cancer.
TPA could be demonstrated in tissues in almost all cases of transitional cell carcinoma without regard to histological grade. On the other hand, TPA was not demonstrated in most cases of renal cell carcinoma.