title: High levels of thymidine phosphorylase as an independent prognostic factor in renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated whether thymidine phosphorylase (TP) protein level in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) correlates with clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  TP protein level was measured in 116 RCC specimens and in 90 non-neoplastic kidney tissues using a sandwich-type enzyme-linked immunosolvent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median TP protein level in RCC tissues was 9.76-fold (range, 3.2-933.9) higher than those in non-neoplastic kidney tissues (P < 0.0001). TP protein level was correlated with T classification, histological grade and mode of infiltration. TP as a prognostic variable was studied using a logistic regression model. TP at higher levels (128 U/mg protein or greater) would play a role as an independent prognostic factor (odds ratio, 13.73; 95% confidence interval, 2.09-90.41; P = 0.0064).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TP at high levels can be regarded as an unfavorable independent prognostic factor. These results may pave a way for a novel approach to effective treatment of RCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan. takayama@hama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mugiya
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furuse
authors.forename: Hongming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Fumitake
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kai
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ushiyama
authors.forename: Seiichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozono
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase