title: Serum biomarkers in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: To identify possible clinically valuable markers of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, we measured the serum concentrations of several commercially available biomarkers in 117 patients with this disease. The alpha-fetoprotein level was measured in 75 patients and was elevated in 8 (11%); elevation did not correlate with the presence of liver metastasis. Beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin levels increased in 8 of 83 patients tested (10%). C-terminal parathyroid hormone levels were measured in 79 patients and were elevated in 15 (19%); their serum creatinine level was normal. Thirteen of this group had normal serum calcium levels, whereas 7 patients with hypercalcemia and no clinically evident bone metastasis had normal parathyroid hormone levels. In only 2 of 72 patients, serum lactate dehydrogenase and its isoenzyme 1 were elevated. Only 1 of 85 patients had mildly elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen, in contrast to 3 of 7 patients with metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis who had moderately elevated carcinoembryonic antigen. Elevations in alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and parathyroid hormone correlated with the course of the disease in 13 patients for whom follow-up measurements were available; measurement of these markers, however, is only useful in a small proportion of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Dexeus
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Logothetis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sella
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fitz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Striegel
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000556:secondary*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C023443:carboxyl-terminal parathyroid hormone; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase