Procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide: a marker for bone metastases in prostate carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to assess the utility of the bone formation marker procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide (P1NP) in indicating bone metastases in patients with prostate carcinoma. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were measured as a comparison.


METHODS
The serum samples of 100 patients were analysed using a specific immunoassay. The patients were divided into three groups, 32 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), 38 patients with prostate carcinoma and 30 patients with prostate carcinoma with bone metastases.


RESULTS
PINP concentrations were elevated in about 87% of the patients with confirmed bone metastases, the P1NP levels were significantly (p < or = 0.001) higher (median: 194.7 ng/ml) than in the patients without bone involvement (median: 38.0 ng/ml) and the BPH patients (median: 42.2 ng/ml), who both presented P1NP levels within the normal range.


CONCLUSIONS
P1NP is a reliable predictor of the presence or absence of bone metastases in prostate carcinoma.
Klepzig
M
M
Department of Laboratory Medicine - Internal Medicine, Hospital of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, D-60590 Frankfurt/Main, Germany. martina.klepzig@gmx.de
Jonas
D
D
Oremek
G M
GM