title: Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide in patients with benign and malignant diseases.
abstract: The specificity and sensitivity of pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) was evaluated in 37 healthy subjects, 197 patients with benign diseases and 310 patients with malignant diseases of different origins. Abnormal ProGRP serum levels (>50 pg/ml) were found in 10% of the patients with benign diseases and in 26.1% of the patients with active cancer. None of the healthy subjects had abnormal ProGRP levels. The benign disease with the highest ProGRP concentration was renal failure, with abnormal values in 51.6% of the patients studied. Excluding patients with renal failure or patients with creatinine levels greater than 1.5 mg/dl, raised ProGRP values (<80 ng/ml) were found in 2.5% (4/160) of patients with benign diseases and in 4.9% of patients with active malignancies other than lung cancer or neuroendocrine tumors (<110 ng/ml). Abnormal ProGRP serum levels were found in 26.2% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (mean 40.5 +/- 35.4 pg/ml) and in 76.8% of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (mean 694 +/- 1,776 pg/ml) (p < 0.001). ProGRP serum levels >300 pg/ml were only found in SCLC patients (41.4%). ProGRP results were related to tumor extension in SCLC (sensitivity in limited disease 58.3%, in extensive disease 95.5%) but not in NSCLC. In summary, renal failure is the most frequent source of false-positive results with ProGRP, and this marker is useful in the histological differential diagnosis of lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry, Oncobiology Unit, Oncology Unit, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, Medical School, Barcelona, Spain. rmolina@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Auge
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alicarte
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Filella
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Viñolas
authors.forename: Antonio M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ballesta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010455:Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C087079:pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (31-98)