Abstract
Serum tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) level was measured in 44 colorectal cancer patients. Then, the colorectal cancer specimens from some of these patients were stained for TPA by the unlabelled antibody enzyme method. Serum TPA levels in colorectal cancer patients (112±12U/L: Mean±SE) were significantly higher than those in normal subjects (77±3U/L), especially high in patients with stage V cancer. The cytoplasm was stained by tissue TPA staining. Tissue TPA concentrations in colorectal cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in non-cancerous colorectal mucosa. Eighteen out of 44 colorectal cancer patients (41%) showed an elevated serum TPA level. This incidence of an elevated serum TPA level was as high as that of an elevated serum CEA level, which was investigated simultaneously. These results suggest that TPA is also a useful tumor marker in colorectal cancer.
