In our previous report, we demonstrated that there were significant changes in several serum proteins in patients with malignant tumors of the urogenital system and suggested that measurement of these proteins would be helpful for evaluation of the clinical stage in these patients.
In this report, we analyzed the changes of the serum proteins such as prealbumin (Pre), α1-acid glycoprotein (α1-AG), α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT), α2-HS glycoprotein (α2-HS), ceruloplasmin (Cp), haptoglobin (Hp) and transferrin (Tf), by the quantitative measurement by the use of Behringwerke Partigens, particularly along with the clinical course of 81 cases of malignant tumors of the urogenital system.
Our findings were summarized as follows.
1) In improved group, all of measured serum proteins returned to the normal range as the illness improved.
2) In aggravated group, changes of the serum proteins became more pronounced as the illness progressed. It was significantly noted that α1-AG, α1-AT, Cp and Hp increased and Pre, α2-HS and Tf decreased in cancer of the bladder, α1-AG increased and Pre and Tf decreased in cancer of the prostate, Hp increased and Pre and Tf decreased in the tumors of the testicle, and α1-AG, α1-AT and Hp increased and α2-HS and Tf decreased in tumors of other organs.
3) Surgical operation and irradiation therapy resulted in increases of α1-AG, α1-AT, Cp and Hp of various degree for about two months.
4) Estrogen administration into cancer of the prostate yielded a decrease of α1-AG and an increase of Cp. Estrogen produced more pronounced changes than tumor itself and infection.
5) α1-AG, α1-AT, Cp and Hp showed moderate changes in the presence of infection. In aggravated group, however, tumor itself produced more pronounced changes on these proteins than infection.
6) Decreases of Pre, α1-AG and Hp and an increase of Cp were observed in cases with hepatic dysfunction.
It is concluded that changes of these serum proteins reflected clinical course fairly well, that is, whether patients with malignant tumors of the urogenital system improved or aggravated, and that the follow-up of the serum protein changes may be clinically helpful for evaluation of prognosis of the patients with malignancy.
