Serum levels of the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen and the pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen as markers of bone metastases in patients with prostate carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate serum levels of the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) and the pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) as possible markers of bone metastases in patients with prostate carcinoma (PCA) patients.

METHODS

Levels of PICP and ICTP were measured by radioimmunoassay of serum from 29 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 17 patients with PCA without bone metastases and 29 patients with PCA and bone metastases.

RESULTS

Serum levels of PICP in patients with PCA and bone metastases (mean +/- SD 304.3 +/- 365.9 ng/ml) were significantly higher than those in patients with BPH (95.6 +/- 27.1 ng/ml) and in patients with PCA without bone metastases (111.1 +/- 44.6 ng/ml). No significant difference was observed between the BPH and the PCA without bone metastases groups. Serum levels of ICTP were significantly higher in the PCA with (10.4 +/- 10.3 ng/ml) and without bone metastases groups (7.7 +/- 6.0 ng/ml) than in the BPH group (3.7 +/- 2.0 ng/ml). There was no significant difference between the PCA groups with and without bone metastases.

CONCLUSION

Serum PICP levels correlate well with results of bone scans, while serum ICTP levels increase in patients with PCA regardless of the presence of bone metastases.