title: Plasma osteopontin levels are predictive of disease stage in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure plasma levels of osteopontin in patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder, and to determine if osteopontin levels relate to disease stage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were collected from 72 consecutive patients with TCC. Clinical data were obtained from medical record reviews. Patients were divided into subgroups based on disease status (active vs inactive) and clinical and pathological stage of TCC (tumour, nodes and metastases staging system). Osteopontin levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma osteopontin levels were higher in patients with active TCC than in controls (P = 0.035). Plasma osteopontin levels were not significantly different between patients with active and inactive TCC, but were higher in patients with metastases than in patients with active, clinically organ-confined TCC (P = 0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma osteopontin levels increase with tumour stage in TCC of the bladder. These findings suggest that larger, more extended studies on plasma osteopontin levels in patients with TCC are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Celina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.forename: Ann F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Alan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Tuck
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Winquist
authors.forename: Jonathan I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Izawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D053495:Osteopontin; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: C506895:SPP1 protein, human; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D053495:Osteopontin