IMPROVEMENT OF THE DETERMINATION OF URINARY TISSUE POLYPEPTIDE ANTIGEN (TPA) AND THE CLINICAL STUDY IN BLADDER CANCER PATIENTS

The problem and its improvement in the measurement of urinary tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) are described, Tween 40, a surface active agent, was used in the management of urine samples. The results of the studies in urinary TPA determination and the clinical investigation in bladder cancer patients, chemical workers and patients with other urological diseases are reported here. By the treatment with Tween 40 the TPA values were elevated in almost all urine samples. However, the justification of its treatment was confirmed from the results in recovery test and dilution test. In the study on the preservation of urine samples it was revealed that the stability of urinary TPA was achieved by the dilution with 4% Tween 40 solution, and that the treatment with Tween 40 just before TPA measurement was neccesary if urine samples were stored in the room temperature. The usefulness of urinary TPA as a tumor marker for bladder cancer was indicated from the results that the positive rates were 72.7% in spot urine and 75.0% in 24-h urine of bladder cancer patients. On the contrary, among the benign urological diseases studied, the patient groups with cystitis and urolithiasis revealed a substantial falsepositive rate, 34.8% and 39.1%, respectively. Although there was no significant difference in the mean levels of urinary TPA between chemical workers and healthy controls, the risk group had about twice more positive rate of urinary TPA than controls.