title: Pyruvate kinase type tumor M2 plasma levels in patients afflicted with rheumatic diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since tumor markers can be increased in the course of many benign diseases, the aim of this study was to verify if this also occurs in the course of rheumatic diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the incidence and characteristics of Tumor M2-PK in the EDTA-plasma of 137 patients suffering from rheumatic diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tumor M2-PK concentration was increased in 52 out of 63 patients (82%) with classical rheumatoid arthritis, in 15 out of 21 patients (71%) with systemic lupus erythematosus, in 14 out of 17 patients (82%) with seronegative spondylarthritis and in 13 out of 28 patients with miscellaneous rheumatic diseases (46%). Malignant neoplasm was not detected in any of the patients with rheumatic diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrated that the EDTA-plasma concentrations of Tumor M2-PK were increased in patients with rheumatic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Hospital of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Oremek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sapoutzis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wigand
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000097:blood; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology; D011770:Pyruvate Kinase / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007527:Isoenzymes; D011770:Pyruvate Kinase