[Basic and clinical evaluation of measurement of pancreatic cancer associated antigen, SPan-1]

Basic evaluation of SPan-1 assay (SPan-1 RIA. BEAD) and clinical significance of serum SPan-1 levels for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer were studied. This assay was reproducible, reliable and simple to perform. It required minimal samples (duplicate 50 microliters) and may be done within 4 hrs. Normal subjects (N = 1182) had serum SPan-1 antigen levels which ranged 0 to 42.8 units/ml with a mean of 7.5 units/ml and above 40 units/ml was considered to be positive. SPan-1 antigen levels in cultured medium of four out of five pancreatic cancer cell lines showed more than 1000 units/ml by this assay. While over 90% of pancreatic cancer patients had elevated levels of serum SPan-1 antigen, only 0-17% of patients with other malignant and non malignant gastrointestinal diseases such as pancreatitis (chronic or acute), gastric cancer or colon cancer had above normal levels. Furthermore, levels of serum SPan-1 antigen correlated well with treatment and recurrence of disease in patients with pancreatic and gastric cancer. These results suggest that determination of serum SPan-1 antigen levels by this assay kit is useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of pancreatic cancer.