Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 30:174-179 (2000)
© 2000 Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research
Usefulness of Serum Carboxy-Terminal Telopeptide of Type I Collagen (ICTP) as a Marker of Bone Metastasis from Lung Cancer
Department of Internal Medicine, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Second Hospital, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Background: Serum pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) is a metabolite of type I collagen comprising 90% or more of organic substances in bone. Its usefulness as a marker of bone metastasis from malignant tumors is expected.
Method: We measured ICTP to evaluate its clinical usefulness for diagnosis of bone metastasis in 140 patients with lung cancer. For comparison, serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1), gastrin-releasing peptide precursor (ProGRP), alkaline phosphatase and calcium were simultaneously measured. ICTP was measured by double-antibody radioimmunoassay.
Results: ICTP was significantly higher in patients with bone metastasis from lung cancer than in the group without bone metastasis, patients with other pulmonary diseases or healthy control subjects and showed excellent sensitivity and specificity, indicating that this marker is highly useful for complementary diagnosis of bone metastasis from lung cancer. Moreover, the survival duration was significantly shorter in the ICTP-positive group than in the ICTP-negative group, suggesting that ICTP can be a prognostic factor in lung cancer.
Conclusion: It is suggested that measurement of ICTP is worthwhile as a serological diagnostic method of bone metastasis from lung cancer. Moreover, since repeated measurements are possible, this measure was considered very helpful in complementary diagnosis of bone metastasis and also as a standard to determine the timing of examinations such as bone scintigraphy.
+ For reprints and all correspondence: Takahiko Horiguchi, Department of Internal Medicine, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Second Hospital, 3–6–10, Otobashi, Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 454-0012, JapanAbbreviations: ICTP, carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen; CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen; CYFRA 21-1, cytokeratin 19 fragment; ProGRP, gastrin-releasing peptide precursor; PICP, carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I collagen; IIP, idiopathic interstitial pneumonia; Ca, calcium; Alp, alkaline phosphatase; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; SCLC, small cell lung cancer