title: Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) as tumour markers in nasopharyngeal cancer.
abstract: The levels of tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2-MG) were measured in the serum of 38 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Using sera from 35 normal volunteers and blood donors, a normal range for these two tumour markers was established. The normal range for TPA was 40-148 IU/L (mean = 93), while that for beta 2-microglobulin was 0.9-2.0 mg/L (mean = 1.3). In the patients with NPC but without known metastases the range was 63-178 IU/L for TPA (mean = 111) and for beta 2-MG, the range was 1.0-3.1 mg/L (mean = 1.7). For those NPC patients with metastases to bone or liver, the mean TPA was 464 IU/L and the mean beta 2-MG was 4.3 mg/L. It appears that TPA and beta 2-MG are useful markers for the monitoring of NPC patients for metastatic disease, particularly TPA.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D012846:Singapore; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin