THE CLINICAL-VALUE OF CATHEPSIN-D AND TNF-ALPHA IN BLADDER-CANCER PATIENTS

This study included 34 normal healthy controls, 35 patients with urina ry tract bilharziasis and 93 bladder cancer patients (62 were operable cases and 31 non-operable). Serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-al pha) was determined using the enzyme immunoassay reagents supplied by Medgenix Diagnostics, Belgium. Cytosol Cathepsin-D was estimated using the immunoradiometric assay supplied by CIS BIO International, France . The results revealed that at 100% and 90% specificities, cytosol Cat hepsin-D had 35.7% and 59.5% sensitivity in bladder cancer patients. S erum TNF-alpha showed sensitivity of 17.0% and 55.0% at 100% and 90% s pecificities in operable bladder cancer patients and 48.0% and 77.0% i n non-operable cases respectively. Cytosol cathepsin D and TNF-alpha d id nor show prognostic values like positive correlation with tumor sta ges, grades or association of tumors with bilharzial ova or lymph node involvement.