title: Serum amyloid A protein (SAA) in colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: The changes in serum levels of serum amyloid A protein were studied in 67 patients suffering from colorectal carcinoma and compared to three other major acute phase proteins: C-reactive protein, alpha1-antichymotrypsin and alpha1-acid glycoprotein. Although the presence of colorectal carcinoma caused an increase in serum levels of all the acute phase reactants studied, serum amyloid A protein showed the most powerful reaction in pre-operative disease stage, with the mean value of 330 mg/l (range 7-2506 mg/l) as compared to the normal values of <1.2 mg/l obtained in 30 healthy adults. The mean serum amyloid A protein concentration increased to 487 mg/l after surgery, declining during the post-operative clinical course until the sixth chemotherapy cycle (from 167 mg/l to 64 mg/l), but never returned to the normal range. In the later chemotherapy cycles, mean serum amyloid A protein increased to 163 mg/l, probably as a result of the disease relapse. According to the statistical relations among exact confidence intervals for proportions, serum amyloid A protein showed the best specificity for colorectal carcinoma of all the acute phase proteins studied (83-100%) and also a sensitivity of 100%. We concluded that serum amyloid A protein seems to be a reliable parameter, which could be recommended for clinical routine as a non-specific tumour marker for colorectal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: PLIVA d.d., Research & Development, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Zagreb, Croatia. ines.glojnaric@pliva.hr
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Glojnarić
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Casl
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simić
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lukac
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D006801:Humans; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000378:metabolism; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009961:Orosomucoid; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein