[Clinical significance of tumor markers in prostatic carcinoma--comparative study of prostatic acid phosphatase, prostate specific antigen and gamma-seminoprotein].

We measured the prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), gamma-Seminoprotein (gamma-Sm) and prostate specific antigen (PA) in the serum of 862 patients with various urologic diseases including 89 patients with prostatic cancer. We used a PAP radioimmunoassay kit, gamma-Sm enzyme immunoassay kit, Markit-F-PA enzyme immunoassay kit and PA test Wako enzyme immunoassay kit. Serum PA level in advanced prostatic carcinoma (stage C, D) tended to be higher than that in early stage cancer (stage A, B). The Wako kit gave a higher PA than the Markit-F in each stage. The sensitivity rate of Wako PA test was the highest (81%) of all kits. The specificity rate of PAP was the highest (83%), and the accuracy rate of Markit-F PA was the highest (79%). The positive rate in the combined assay of PAP, gamma-Sm and PA in prostatic cancer was higher than that in the single assay of each tumor marker. We regarded PAP, gamma-Sm and PA as clinically different tumor markers, because their serum level did not correlate definitely. No apparent correlation was found between histopathological grade and the level of each tumor marker. The level of PAP, gamma-Sm and PA in the reactivated patients was significantly higher than that of the well-controlled patients. In the reactivated patients, the positive rate of Markit-F PA was the highest (89%) of all the kits.