Interrelationship of prealbumin and α‐1 acid glycoprotein in cancer patient sera

Ariel C. Hollinshead*, Che‐Yen ‐Y Chuang, Edward H. Cooper, William J. Catalona

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

The ratio between two serum components (α‐1 acid glycoprotein/prealbumin) may be useful as a cancer serum index (CSI). By use of scanning densitometry quantitation of serum components after separation by gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) precise measurements are obtained for protein content of thyroxin‐binding prealbumin levels, which decrease in cancer patient sera, and of α‐1 acid glycoprotein levels, which increase significantly in cancer patient sera. The conventional Mancini method was used for corroboration of these observations. The Mancini method, although reliable, is not as quantitative nor as sensitive in the evaluation of differences, particularly for a discrimination of values obtained from healthy adults, smokers, and benign diseased patient sera, all of which were used as controls. CSI, by densitometry quantitation, was determined for controls as well as for patients with early and late lung cancer, colon cancer, melanoma and breast cancer, with concomitant measurements of these same sera using the Mancini method. Independent observations using the Mancini method were made by the Leeds' group for patient sera from early and late colon cancer, and early and late prostate cancer groups. Both the G.W.U. and the Leeds' groups tested sera from patients with each stage of bladder cancer. The Leeds' Mancini method gave CSI for T2 of 3.6, for T2‐3 of 4.9, for T4 of 8.9 and for tumor‐free patients 3.5. Using the PAGE densitometry method, G.W.U. measurements of CSI for bladder cancer were as follows: T1 − 1.05, T2 − 2.40, T3 − 5.57, T4 − 11.0 and tumor‐free −1.73, respectively. Thus, independent measurements by two different laboratories (Leeds and G.W.U.) confirm the observation that CSI may provide a practical addition, similar to albumin measurements and other valuable indicators, for the clinician's armamentariam. Cancer 40:2993‐2998, 1977.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2993-2998
Number of pages6
JournalCancer
Volume40
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 1977

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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