SERUM LEVELS OF THE CARBOXY-TERMINAL PROPEPTIDE OF TYPE-I PROCOLLAGENAND 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 propeptid e of type I procollagen (PICP) and the pyridinoline cross-linked carbo xy-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 pa tients with PCA without bone metastases and 29 patients with PCA and b one metastases, Results: Serum levels of PICP in patients with PCA and bone metastases (mean +/- SD 304.3 +/- 365.9 ng/ml) were significantl y 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 s ignificant difference was observed between the BPH and the PCA without bone metastases groups. Serum levels of ICTP were significantly highe r in the PCA with (10.4 +/- 10.3 ng/ml) and without bone metastases gr oups (7.7 +/- 6.0 ng/ml) than in the BPH group (3.7 +/- 2.0 ng/ml). Th ere was no significant difference between the PCA groups with and with out bone metastases. Conclusion: Serum PICP levels correlate well with results of bone scans, while serum ICTP levels increase in patients w ith PCA regardless of the presence of bone metastases.