Limitations in the use of glutathione S-transferase P1 in urine as a marker for bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND

GST pi (GSTPl) is overexpressed in bladder cancer and desquamation of the tumour may produce detectable levels of urinary GSTPl which could be used as a marker for the early diagnosis of bladder cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A preliminary study in 27 transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) patients and 20 controls, using an ELISA methodl is presented here.

RESULTS

55.5% of TCC patients were positive for GSTP1, while all control samples were negative. Some of the GSTP1 positive cases also gave positive results for haematuria, which indicates that a limitation of this marker involves the contamination of the urine with erythocyte GSTP1. In 5 cases (18.5%) without haematuria detectable levels of GST pi were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Further studies would be required to assess the advantages of this technique over clas sical cytology or as a complement to it, especially in patients in a phase of temporary negative haematuria.