title: Tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) as a tumor marker in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: Tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) is a new tumor marker that indicates tumor proliferative rate rather than tumor burden. The purpose of this study is to assess the clinical value of TPS in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Serum levels of TPS were measured in 60 patients with untreated NPC including 36 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and 24 undifferentiated carcinomas. NPC patients were separated into different subgroups based on the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) TNM classification system. Forty three healthy subjects without any evidence of malignancy or other systemic diseases were included as controls. The results showed that (1) the mean serum TPS level of the NPC patients was significantly higher than that of the healthy controls, (2) the mean serum TPS level of NPC patients with SCC was significantly higher than patients with undifferentiated carcinomas, (3) the mean serum TPS levels of NPC patients with higher TNM stages were significantly higher than those with lower TNM stages, (4) the overall diagnostic sensitivity of TPS for NPC is 58.3%, and (5) the overall diagnostic sensitivities of TPS in NPC patients with undifferentiated carcinomas and higher TNM stages were significantly higher than those with SCC and lower TNM stages. In conclusion, our results suggest that TPS may have a potential clinical role as a valuable tumor marker for NPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, China Medical College Hospital, Taichug, Taiwan.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010455:Peptides; C089984:tissue polypeptide specific antigen