title: Serum neuron specific enolase: can it be a tumour marker for renal cell carcinoma?
abstract: Neuron specific enolase (NSE) is an isoenzyme of the glycolytic enzyme enolase. It is not only a marker for all types of neurons but also for all neuroendocrine or paraneuronal cells and various malignant tumours, even of non-neuroendocrine types. We had studied serum NSE in 25 consecutive patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The study included 10 stage I, 3 stage II, 3 stage III-B and 9 stage IV-B patients. Both pretreatment and posttreatment levels were evaluated. Regardless of stage, overall we observed elevated levels of NSE in 80% (20/25) at diagnosis. After the appropriate treatment, according to the stage, there had been a statistically significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the serum levels in all stage I, II and III-B patients. The posttreatment values were not available for stage IV-B patients because they did not come for follow-up. The preliminary results of our study revealed that serum NSE may be considered as a useful marker in the evaluation and surveillance of RCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yaman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baltaci
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arikan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozdiler
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Göğüş
authors.forename: Y Z
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Müftüoğlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase