VALUTAZIONE CLINICA DELLA PROTEINA 22 DELLA MATRICE NUCLEARE COME MARCATORE TUMORALE NEL FOLLOW-UP DEI TUMORI A CELLULE TRANSIZIONALI DELLA VESCICA

OBJECTIVES. Biomarkers (BTA, NMP22, FDP etc.) have been and continue to beevaluated as adjuncts or substitutes for cystoscopy, which is invasive and uncomfortablefor some patients. Nuclear matrix protein-22 (NMP22) is involved in the regulation of nuclearprocesses. The main objective of the present study is to evaluate the clinical utility ofurinary NMP22 as a tumor marker in the follow-up of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) ofthe bladder.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study included 62 patients undergoing follow-up, who had hadTCC of bladder but who were disease-free at the beginning of the study, as confirmed bycystoscopy. Urine samples were collected for urinary cytology and NMP22 test before thecystoscopy. All samples were processed according to the instructions provided with themanufacturer’s kit instructions.Results. 12 cases of TCC recurrences were detected with biopsy. Cystoscopy was positivein 8 cases, NMP22 test was positive in 11 cases, and in only one case the cytopathologyyielded positive results. In 14 cases NMP22 resulted as false positive.CONCLUSIONS. Urinary NMP22 appeared to be a potential tumor marker for detecting TCC ofthe bladder, which might rise the sensitivity of cystoscopy especially in high-grade cancersurveillance more than cytology might do.