B domain containing Tenascin-C: A new urine marker for surveillance of patients with urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder?

• Published in: Clinica chimica acta 2011-10, Vol.412 (21), p.1931-1936
• Main Authors: Gecks, T., Junker, K., Franz, M., Richter, P., Walther, M., Voigt, A., Neri, D., Kosmehl, H., Wunderlich, H., Kiehntopf, M., Berndt, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomarkers, Tumor - urine; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - urine; Disease Progression; ELISA; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Invasion; Neoplasm Staging; Sensitivity and Specificity; Splicing domains; Tenascin - urine; Tumour surveillance; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - diagnosis; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - pathology; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - urine; Urinary Tenascin-C; Urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder
• ISSN: 0009-8981; 1873-3492
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2011.06.038

ECM remodelling during tumorigenesis entails the re-occurrence of different Tn-C L splicing variants. In patients with urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UBC), B and C domain containing Tenascin-C (B + and C + Tn-C) urine levels were shown to be increased in case of muscle invasiveness. Thus, the present study was aimed at examining the ability of B + and C + Tn-C as potential urinary surveillance markers of UBC patients. Urine levels of B + and C + Tn-C were determined by ELISA in 35 UBC patients during a 2 year follow-up period after therapy and related to clinical diagnosis and histological stage in 4 defined groups representing typical courses of disease. B + Tn-C levels showed significant differences between cases of tumour progression or regression. The urine levels of B + Tn-C could be used to discriminate between cases without tumour recurrence and such with tumour existence (cut-off value: 0.8 ng/ml) or between non-muscle invasive and muscle invasive tumour growth (cut-off value: 3.5 ng/ml). Progression of UBC with time is accompanied by significant changes in urinary levels of B + Tn-C. Urinary B + Tn-C can therefore be suggested as a valuable urine surveillance marker in UBC follow-up care.