Diagnosis of bladder cancer by analysis of urinary fibronectin

To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the analysis of fibronectin in the urine samples of patients with bladder cancer.

The study included 123 subjects: one group of 68 patients with bladder cancer confirmed by transurethral resection; a second group of 10 patients with benign urologic disease, and a third group of 45 healthy subjects. We carried out the analysis of bladder tumor fibronectin (BTF), cytology, and creatinine in urine, and calculated the BTF/creatinine (BTF/CREA) ratio. For the determination of BTF, we used a solid-phase chemoluminescent immunometric test.

The receiver operating characteristic curves showed an optimal cutoff point of 25.6 microg/L and 36.9 microg/g for BTF and the BTF/CREA ratio, respectively, with a sensitivity of 78% and 75%, respectively, and specificity of 80% for both. The sensitivity of urinary cytology was only 55%, but the specificity was 100%. The patients with bladder cancer had significantly greater levels of BTF and the BTF/CREA ratio than did the healthy subjects (P <0.001) and, in the case of BTF without correcting for creatinine, than did the patients with benign urologic disease (P <0.05). We also found significant differences in the levels of BTF and the BTF/CREA ratio among tumor stages, degree of differentiation, tumor size, multifocal nature, and macroscopic appearance.

Determination of fibronectin could be a useful test in the diagnosis of bladder tumors. The association between BTF and all known prognostic parameters implies its potential value in making therapeutic decisions. Nevertheless, the utility of BTF needs to be studied in a wider way in the presence of other pathologic features concurrent with bladder cancer.