Placental-like alkaline phosphatase. Re-evaluation of the tumor marker with exclusion of smokers.
This report demonstrates that smoking is a major factor of nonspecific elevation of the tumor marker placental-like alkaline phosphatase (PLAP). In 98 healthy nonsmokers the mean of the enzyme activity was determined as 0.068 U/L (range, +/- 2 SD 0-0.144 U/L) compared to a mean of 0.378 U/L (range, +/- 2 SD 0-1.02 U/L) in 65 smokers. In view of this finding the usefulness of PLAP as a tumor marker was re-evaluated in 286 patients with various neoplasms and a negative smoking history. Of these patients, 23% and 50% had elevated values for PLAP and carcinoembryonic antigen, respectively. When compared to the range of PLAP in normal smokers only 4.1% of the patients showed elevated values. An increased incidence of elevated PLAP was found in patients with tumors of the lung, pancreas, stomach, colon/rectum, ovaries, and in 2 of 3 seminomas. It was concluded from the data that PLAP is a useful tumor marker for selected neoplasms provided its use is confined to nonsmokers.
D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000201:enzymology; D003536:Cystadenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000201:enzymology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase