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Significance of placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) in the monitoring of patients with seminoma
Author(s) -
Koshida K.,
Uchibayashi T.,
Yamamoto H.,
Hirano K.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
british journal of urology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 0007-1331
DOI - 10.1046/j.1464-410x.1996.74324.x
Subject(s) - placental alkaline phosphatase , seminoma , alkaline phosphatase , alpha fetoprotein , lactic dehydrogenase , biology , medicine , andrology , endocrinology , enzyme , biochemistry , chemotherapy , hepatocellular carcinoma
Objective To investigate the significance of placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) as a tumour marker for seminoma. Patients and methods A total of 673 serum samples from 116 patients with testicular germ cell tumours (78 seminomas and 38 non‐seminomas) were analysed for several markers including PLAP, total alkaline phosphatase (AL‐P), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG‐B), and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). Results Serum PLAP was increased initially in about 50% of patients with seminoma, and the mean magnitude of elevation was about five times the normal value. There was no significant correlation between PLAP and LDH or between PLAP and HCG‐B. Therefore, a combination of these three markers was of value, and resulted in a positive identification rate of 82% of patients with seminoma. False‐positive results for PLAP appeared in 1.6% of 673 samples investigated. Conclusion The monitoring of serum PLAP might be of value, as fluctuations in this marker provide information about disease status and prognosis.