title: Serum beta 2 microglobulin levels in patients with testicular cancer.
abstract: To determine whether serum beta 2 microglobulin could be useful as a tumor marker in patients with testicular cancers, sera stored in our serum bank from 23 patients were assayed by radioimmunoassay for beta 2 microglobulin levels. Sera were selected from 12 preorchiectomy patients, 8 patients who had undergone orchiectomy, and 3 patients who had undergone orchiectomy and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. Patients with other genitourinary tract disorders and normal age and sex-matched controls were assayed for comparison. The laboratory range for normal serum beta 2 microglobulin values was 1.1 to 2.4 mg/L. Patients without documented testicular tumors had values ranging from 1.4 to 9.7 mg/L. Values for normal controls ranged from 1.7 to 2.4 mg/L. Only 3 patients (12.5 per cent) had elevated serum beta 2 microglobulin values. Serum beta 2 microglobulin seems to have no value as a tumor marker in patients with testicular tumors.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001609:Beta-Globulins / Q000032:analysis*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001609:Beta-Globulins; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin