[Pregnancy-specific beta-1 glycoprotein (SP1) as a marker for tumors with or without trophoblastic character]

The pregnancy specific beta-1-glycoprotein (SP1) was measured by radioimmunoassay in 854 persons (control group 103, non-tumoral diseases 212, germinal tumors 30, and non-germinal tumors 509). Amounts higher than 2.5 ng/ml (upper normal limit) were observed in 35 cases with non tumoral diseases (specially chronic liver diseases), 97 of the non-germinal tumors (specially mammary, respiratory and digestive tumors), and 10 of the germinal tumors (pure and mixed choriocarcinomas, and embryonic carcinoma with yolk sac component). SP1 rarely is higher than 5 ng/ml in non-tumoral diseases and non-germinal tumors, while it is higher than 5 ng/ml in germinal tumors. SP1 is a good marker for trophoblastic neoplasms and shows a correlation with HCG-beta.