[Clinical usefulness of serum procollagen-III-peptide in patients with solid tumor]

An attempt has been made to determine the clinical usefulness of serum procollagen-III-peptide (P-III-P) in comparison with serum CEA and AFP in patients with solid tumor. Serum P-III-P levels were measured in 82 cases of carcinoma and 64 cases of benign disease employing an AG Radiochemishes Laboratrium RIAgnost P-III-P kit. Serum P-III-P levels of 148 healthy subjects were 8.5 +/- 2.6 ng/ml (M +/- S.D.), with an upper limit of 13.7(M + 2S.D.). The serum P-III-P level in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma was elevated to 47.5 +/- 97.5 (88.9%). Serum P-III-P levels in cases of pancreatic carcinoma were elevated slightly, whereas those for patients with carcinoma of the stomach, colorectum, esophagus, and breast were low, and their P-III-P positive rates were lower than those of their serum CEA. On the other hand, the serum P-III-P levels in benign diseases involving the liver and biliary tract were higher than those in other benign diseases. Therefore, although serum P-III-P can be a useful marker in hepatocellular carcinoma, it may possibly be difficult to discriminate it from benign diseases involving the liver and biliary tract.