title: Does the Serum Metallothionein Level Reflect the Stage of Testicular Germ Cell Tumor?
abstract: Increased levels of metallothionein (MT) have recently been found in the blood serum of men with newly diagnosed testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). In light of previously published results, the aim of this study was to investigate the difference in serum MT levels among patients with different stages of TGCT and compare MT with commonly used markers (α-fetoprotein, β-human chorionic gonadotropin and lactate dehydrogenase). The concentration of total MT was determined in the serum of 25 men with TGCT (seminoma or non-seminoma) by differential pulse voltammetry. Serum samples were obtained prior to chemotherapy, after two cycles of chemotherapy and 1 year after chemotherapy. A statistically significant difference in MT levels in patients with different stages of TGCT was observed in the serum of patients with non-seminoma obtained before chemotherapy. Although not significant, an increase in serum MT levels commensurate with the disease stage increase was also observed in patients with seminomatous TGCT. The results indicate that, in combination with the existing markers, MT could be useful for the identification of the histological type of tumor and stage of the disease before biopsy diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Analytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: btariba@imi.hr.
authors.forename: Blanka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tariba
authors.affiliation: Analytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Živković
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Biological Effects of Metals, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Vlatka
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Filipović Marijić
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Biological Effects of Metals, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Marijana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erk
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gamulin
authors.affiliation: Analytical Toxicology and Mineral Metabolism Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Alica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pizent
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000097:blood*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D008668:Metallothionein; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
keywords: Metallothionein; Non-seminoma; Seminoma; Serum marker; Testicular germ cell tumor