title: Urinary hyaluronan as a marker for the presence of residual transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this report is to evaluate the value of urinary hyaluronan (HA) as a maker of residual transitional cell carcinoma (TCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Urine samples were collected from 83 patients hospitalized for transurethral resection (TUR). Patient ages ranged from 36 to 86 years. Samples were taken both before and after surgery. HA analysis was performed using an "ELISA-like" fluorometric assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were divided into two groups: a control group whose previous diagnosis was negative for tumors (n=22) and another with positive diagnosis for tumors (n=61) which was further sub-divided into with and without residual tumor. After the second procedure 47 individuals did not display residual tumor, whereas 14 (23%) did. The average HA in the control group was 8.3 microg/L pre- and 7.1 post-operatively, hence, no change occurred (p=0.471). In the group with TCC patients, the HA dropped from 885.5 microg/L to 215.3 microg/L with residual tumors and from 234.3 microg/L to 11.2 microg/L for those without residual tumor. Using a cut-off value of 20 microg/L, the sensitivity to detect residual tumor is 92.9% and specificity is 83%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HA in addition to being one of the best markers for the initial evaluation of bladder carcinoma can be used to determine the presence of a residual tumor. This is associated with poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Disciplina de Urologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil. carlopasserotti@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Carlo C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Passerotti
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonfim
authors.forename: João R M
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Marcos F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dall'Oglio
authors.forename: Lucia O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Valdemar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srougi
authors.forename: Carl P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: Helena B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Nader
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000652:urine*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D011446:Prospective Studies; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid