title: Cytokeratin markers in patients with prostatic diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS), a cytokeratin 18 marker, was described to be discriminative between cancer of the prostate (CaP) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Cyfra 8/18, a marker which recognizes both cytokeratin 8 and 18 fragments, is thought to improve sensitivity and specificity of TPS. In our study we investigated the ability of the TPS and cyfra 8/18 serum concentration to discriminate between patients with clinically localized CaP and BPH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of TPS and Cyfra 8/18 were determined in patients with untreated CaP (pT1-3pNoMo: n = 11) and BPH (n = 22). The TPS and the Cyfra 8/18 concentrations were correlated to the prostate specific antigen (PSA) serum concentration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median TPS concentration was 45.3 U/L in CaP-patients and 54.8 U/L in BPH-patients. This difference is statistically not significant (p = 0.2). Median Cyfra 8/18 level was 0.64 ng/mL in CaP-patients and 0.57 ng/mL in BPH-patients. This difference is statistically not significant (p = 0.91). Furthermore no correlation with PSA levels could be established (TPS: r = -0.13; Cyfra 8/18: r = 0.17).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In contrast to recent reports we found both cytokeratin markers, TPS as well as Cyfra 8/18, to be non-discriminative parameters in CaP and BPH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, RWTH Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Borchers
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brehmer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brauers
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jakse
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000097:blood*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010455:Peptides; C089984:tissue polypeptide specific antigen; D007633:Keratins