High concentrations of N-terminal peptide of type III procollagen in the sera of patients with various cancers, with special reference to liver cancer.
The concentrations of N-terminal peptide of type III procollagen in the sera of patients with various cancers were measured by radioimmunoassay. The mean value (with standard deviation) in the control group was 9.9 +/- 2.6 ng/ml. Serum levels exceeding 15 ng/ml were defined as positive, and it was found that 94% of 18 patients with primary liver cancer with cirrhosis, 88% of 8 patients with primary liver cancer without cirrhosis, 77% of 13 patients with metastatic liver cancer, 86% of 7 patients with recurrent breast cancer, 86% of 8 patients with colonic cancer, 75% of 8 patients with pancreatic cancer, 70% of 23 patients with stomach cancer, 51% of 35 patients with lung cancer, and 54% of 28 patients with uterine cancer showed positive levels. The concentrations showed great intersubject variations, probably reflecting the activity of tumor growth and/or invasion. The concentrations in the sera of patients with primary liver cancer with cirrhosis were generally higher than those in patients with liver cirrhosis alone or primary liver cancer without cirrhosis. This result suggested that the growth of primary liver cancer complicated by cirrhosis might be detected by serial measurements of this peptide in the serum of patients with liver cirrhosis. Present data suggested that this peptide is not cancer-specific, but assay of the peptide might be of value as an auxiliary means of detecting and monitoring various cancers, especially liver cancer.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen