Tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI) in benign and malignant gastric disease

We have evaluated the clinical utility of tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI) as a marker for gastric cancer. For comparison we also studied CEA, CA19-9, CA-50 and TPA. The study comprised 93 patients with cancer and 45 with gastroduodenal ulcers. In 95% of the patients with benign disease the serum TATI concentrations were below 30 micrograms/l. Using this concentration as cut-off level 46% of the cancer patients had elevated levels. These were most common in advanced disease (68% in stage IVB) and patients with anaplastic tumors. Therefore TATI was a useful complement to CEA, which was most often elevated in patients with differentiated tumors. Addition of TATI to the battery of other markers increased the overall sensitivity for cancer from 69% to 80%.