Anomalous Tumour Marker Concentrations in Renal Transplant Patients

Abstract

Summary: Serial serum determinations of the tumour associated antigens carcinoembryonic antigen, tissue polypeptide antigen, CA 19-9, CA 15-3 and CA 125 were performed on 70 patients who were undergoing, or had undergone renal transplantation.The period of observation ranged from 4 days pre-operative to 708 days post-operative, although daily monitoring was usually carried out during the first 14-35 days post-operatively.With the exception of tissue polypeptide antigen, which was analysed with an immunoluminometric assay, all analytes were measured with the Enzymun-Test® System ES-300 using immunoenzymometric assays with colorimetric determination. The interassay coefficients of variation were less than 5% for the immunoenzymometric assays and 8.7% for tissue polypeptide antigen, all values being derived from 20 consecutive assays.Only 8/70 patients with no complications showed normal concentrations for all five analytes. 6/79 patients showed parallel changes of at least three markers. 7/70 patients had transient elevations of at least one marker, whereas 25/70 patients had a continual elevation of CA 125, 9/70 CA 19-9 and 1/70 CA 15-3, although no patient showed evidence of disease. Two patients, each with 2 rejection episodes, showed daily fluctuations up to 100% for all markers, with the exception of carcinoembryonic antigen. There was no correlation between elevated tumour markers and cytomegalovirus infection.° uc on leased into the circulation, thus allowing an early and Despite the vast amount of research on developing specific detection of malignancies. It was seen howin-vitro tests suitable for the early detection of cancer, ever, that the same tumour associated antigens were the lack of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity has expressed and released in non-malignant states,

Serum tumor markers in chronic kidney disease: as clinical tool in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of cancers

“…In addition, studies by Estakhri et al 2 and Tzitzikos et al 22 showed that CA 19-9 with presence of increased levels is not specific for neoplasms after hemodialysis treatment. Wood et al 28 concluded that single isolated determinations of CA 125 and CA 19-9 are not reliable indicators of malignancy in renal transplant patients. Therefore, CA 19-9 and CA 50 (similar in structure to CA 19-9) should be interpreted with caution, often elevated in dialysis patients but has good specify and of some clinical value, often moderately elevated with peritoneal, pleural, or pericardial fluids.…”