Variations in alpha-2-HS glycoprotein level in neoplastic disease with and without involvement of bone

Variations in the serum level of alpha-HS-glycoprotein may be observed in all pathological conditions which induce changes in bone turn-over, as well as in inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. This study includes 162 patients divided into four groups according to the TNM classification (tumour, lymph node metastasis). The first consisted of patients with neoplasms at TNM stages 1 and 2 with no bone metastases; the second of similar patients at TNM stages 3 and 4. The third group were patients with primary or secondary neoplasms of bone, and the fourth were patients with viral or bacterial diseases. The levels of alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein serum were determined for all the groups and these were compared with AAG (alpha-1-glycoprotein) and CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen). There were no significant differences in the levels of alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein for the first group as compared with normal controls, while in the other groups the differences were significant. The levels of alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein were diminished when the levels of CEA and AAG were both high, but increased when only one of these other parameters was high.