Prognostic value of tissue-polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) in bladder cancer.
BACKGROUND
To evaluate, by means of a prospective study, the usefulness of tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) as a tumor marker in follow-up and prognosis of bladder cancer.


METHODS
A total of 438 subjects were included in the study and divided into three groups. The first group (n = 216) had active bladder cancer disease, the second group (n = 168) known bladder tumor disease but with no recurrence at the time of study, while the third group (n = 54) consisted of healthy volunteers. TPS in serum was measured using an EIA-kit, a solid phase two-site immunosorbent assay with polyclonal antibodies against cytokeratin 18.


RESULTS
Serum TPS was significantly higher in patients with bladder tumors (p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between TPS and stage (p < 0.05), presence of metastatic lymph nodes (p < 0.01), metastasis (p < 0.01), urinary cytology (p < 0.05), tumor shape (p < 0.01) and tumor size (p < 0.05). Grade, number of tumors, relapses and recurrences were not significantly correlated with serum TPS. With a TPS concentration of 100 U/L as the cut-off point, the sensitivity was 37% and the specificity 77%. With a 95% specificity, the sensitivity was 9%.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum TPS is a marker for bladder carcinoma correlated with stage, urine cytology, tumor shape and size. Its clinical usefulness is not, however, established and it does not appear to be of use in the follow-up of patients with bladder tumor disease.
Menendez
Violeta
V
Department of Urology, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Elche, Spain. violetamenendez@wanadoo.es
Galan
Juan Antonio
JA
Fernandez-Suarez
Antonio
A
Lopez
Susana
S
Alcover
Juan
J
Calpena
Rafael
R
Filella
Xavier
X
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010455:Peptides; C089984:tissue polypeptide specific antigen