Quantification of alpha-fetoprotein and beta-HCG in testis tumor patients.

Patients with testis tumor were investigated for serum and tissue levels of alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG). The tissue immune peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining for the tumor marker was quantitated by computer-assisted immunohistophotometry and immuno-gamma ray histospectrometry. The results supported the general view that mostly polynuclear giant cells produce beta-HCG in 66% of nonseminoma cancer. This finding qualifies beta-HCG as relatively unspecific in the absence of chorioepithelial cells in the tumor. Discrepancies of tissue and serum beta-HCG values may be caused by deglycolysation of beta-HCG while penetrating the perivascular tissues. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) appears helpfully to discriminate the true seminoma cancer, which is constantly negative. Histologically pure seminoma which reacts for AFP therefore suggests sclerotic teratoma compartments. A constant finding is the significantly reduced synthesis rate of tumor markers in metastasis compared to primary tumor.