Serum and cytosolic levels of CA549 in breast cancer patients.
CA 549 is a new mucinous circulating tumor marker recognized by two monoclonal antibodies (BC4E549 and BC4N154) recently proposed for breast cancer. In this report we compared the levels of CA 549 and CA 15.3, the best known biomarker for breast cancer nowadays, in 68 sieric and 59 cytosolic samples. Serum samples came from 59 breast patients (24 with primary disease = M-, 18 with systemic disease = M+, 17 with no evidence of disease after surgery = NED) and 9 women with benign breast disease = BBD. The cytosols were prepared from primary breast carcinomas according to the method used for hormonal receptors. At first we evaluated the analytical performance of the immunoradiometric assay for CA 549 (Hybri-BREScan, Hybritech) and its applicability to the cytosolic determination. Using a cut-off value of 12 U/mL for CA 549 and 28 U/mL for CA 15.3 serum levels, we obtained the following percentages of positivities: M- = 21%; M+ = 83%; NED = 0%; BBD = 22% for CA 549 and M- = 33%; M+ = 89%; NED = 18%; BBD = 22% for CA 15.3. CA 549 gave information concordant with CA 15.3 in a high percentage of cases both in sera and in cytosols, but the clinical relevance of cytosolic determination remains to be investigated. Since serum CA 549 showed an adequate sensitivity in M+ patients only, it may be proposed in the follow-up to confirm CA 15.3 abnormal values or as an alternative to it.
Correale
M
M
RIA Laboratory, Oncology Institute of Bari, Italy.
Abbate
I
I
Dragone
C D
CD
Tedone
T
T
Gargano
G
G
Catino
A
A
Paradiso
A
A
Addabbo
L
L
Musci
M D
MD
De Lena
M
M
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C072700:CA549 glycoprotein, human; D006023:Glycoproteins