title: B and C domain containing tenascin-C: urinary markers for invasiveness of urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Surveillance of urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UBC) patients with respect to tumour recurrence and invasiveness is crucial for therapy and prognosis. Therefore, evaluation of non-invasive methods to monitor tumour progression is of high clinical interest. The study was aimed at investigating urinary concentrations of tenascin-C splicing domains for their value as tumour surveillance markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urinary concentration of B and C domain containing tenascin-C (Tn-C) was analysed by ELISA technology in 104 UBC patients, 11 patients with cystitis and 15 healthy donors as control. The investigation was supplemented by Tn-C immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically significant increase in urinary concentrations of both Tn-C B and C domain with tumour progression could be evidenced. A concordant tumour-associated enhanced protein deposition in the carcinoma stroma could be demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in invasive UBC. Western blotting reveals proteolytic fragmentation of urinary Tn-C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, detection of Tn-C splicing domains in urine is suggested as a marker for the surveillance of UBC recurrence and invasiveness.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Jena, Ziegelmühlenweg 1, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tost
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.forename: Annelore
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altendorf-Hofmann
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Junker
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borsi
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Hartwig
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kosmehl
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wunderlich
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berndt