New and traditional serum markers of bone metabolism in the detection of skeletal metastases.
OBJECTIVE
The evaluation of "new" and "traditional" markers of osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity, in patients with bone metastases.


METHODS
Our series consist of 40 patients with clinical, radiological, and scintigraphic evidence of bone metastases, and 40 age-matched healthy subjects. In all samples, traditional markers were evaluated by measuring total alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TrACP) activity, and osteocalcin (BGP) concentration. To assess new biochemical bone markers, bone isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (ALP-B) activity, carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP), and carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) concentrations were measured.


RESULTS
Our findings showed that the best diagnostic efficiency is provided by ICTP (0.94) followed by total ALP (0.90), ALP-B (0.80), and TrACP (0.76). The efficiency of BGP and PICP was, instead, very low (0.64 and 0.60, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results confirm the utility of the new serum markers such as ALP-B and ICTP assays in detecting bone metastases.
Plebani
M
M
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Italy.
Bernardi
D
D
Zaninotto
M
M
De Paoli
M
M
Secchiero
S
S
Sciacovelli
L
L
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D003094:Collagen / Q000097:blood; D024042:Collagen Type I; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000071681:Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase
D015415:Biomarkers; D024042:Collagen Type I; D007527:Isoenzymes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010455:Peptides; D011347:Procollagen; C052929:collagen type I trimeric cross-linked peptide; C042813:procollagen type I carboxy terminal peptide; D015675:Osteocalcin; D003094:Collagen; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D000071681:Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase