title: Increased urinary levels of tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) in alcoholics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urinary levels of tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS, cytokeratin-18) have been proposed as a marker of urothelial malignancies. Previous studies have shown that serum TPS levels are elevated in alcoholics. This study was designed to determine whether alcoholics had elevated urinary TPS levels as well.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum and urinary TPS levels were determined in 24 alcoholics and 15 healthy controls by means of a commercial chemiluminiscent immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum TPS levels were higher in alcoholics than in controls (median 332 U/L, range 51-21241 U/L versus median 17 U/L, range 15-65 U/L, respectively, p<0.001). Urinary TPS levels were also higher in alcoholics than in controls (median 244 U/L, range 22-1267 U/L versus median 66.5 U/L, range 15-600 U/L, respectively, p=0.001). Urinary TPS levels were correlated with serum TPS levels in alcoholics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urinary TPS levels are elevated in alcoholics. Consequently, the specificity of urinary TPS as a tumor marker may be limited in alcoholics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela 15706, Spain.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Quintela
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mella
authors.forename: Luis-Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Perez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; C089984:tissue polypeptide specific antigen