Tissue alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotrophin in non-seminomatous testicular tumours. A comparative study with serum levels.

Summary— The correlation between tissue localisation and serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) was studied in 20 tissue samples from 18 patients with non-seminomatous testicular tumours. Specific immunoperoxidase stains were used for tissue staining and serum measurements were made by radioimmunoassay. There was a close correlation between the tissue demonstration of AFP and HCG and elevated levels of serum markers. The cellular localisations of AFP and HCG were different and no cell stained concomitantly for both AFP and HCG. From these results and from the demonstration of tumour markers in the tissue of some patients with normal serum marker levels, it was concluded that immunocytochemical localisation of the tumour markers was more sensitive than serum measurements.