Serum levels of some acute phase proteins in kidney and urinary tract urothelial cancers

Early diagnosis of kidney and urothelial cancer requires some new sensitive and specific methods. In this study the diagnostic use of serum α1-acid glycoprotein (α1-AG), coeruloplasmin, α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT), α2-macroglobulin (α2-MG) and albumin in patients with kidney, urinary bladder and upper tract urothelial cancer was evaluated. In kidney cancer patients the serum levels of α1-AG, coeruloplasmin and α1-AT were significantly increased over the controls (p<0.001), however, albumin was decreased (p<0.005). Sensitivity was relatively high for α1-AG (85%), albumin (85%) and α1-AT (77%). In patients with urinary tract urothelial cancer α1-AG, α1-AT and coeruloplasmin were also increased but not as much as in kidney cancer. Sensitivity of α1-AT (63%), albumin (75%) and α1-AT (66%) was also lower than in kidney cancer. This study has established the relative importance of α1-AT and albumin determination in patients with kidney as well as with urothelial cancer.