SEQUENTIAL-CHANGES OF URINARY PYRIDINOLINE AND DEOXYPYRIDINOLINE AS MARKERS OF METASTATIC BONE-TUMOR IN PATIENTS WITH PROSTATE-CANCER - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

Urinary concentration of pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline, novel mar kers of bone resorption, was measured serially in patients with prosta te cancer as markers of metastatic bone tumor, In 11 patients, five wi thout bone metastasis and six with bone metastasis, pyridinoline and d eoxypyridinoline were serially monitored for between 6 and 24 months, All patients received some hormonal therapy with or without radical pr ostatectomy, Pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline were measured by ion-p aired high-performance liquid chromatography and were adjusted accordi ng to urinary creatinine concentration, The sequential changes of pyri dinoline and deoxypyridinoline were compared with those of prostatic s pecific antigen and alkaline phosphatase as well as with the findings of bone scintigrams, During the observation periods, no metastatic bon e lesion developed and no significant changes in pyridinoline and deox ypyridinoline occurred in the five patients without bone metastasis, I n the six patients with bone metastasis, the levels of prostatic-speci fic antigen showed relatively rapid decreases after starting therapy, In contrast, the levels of pyridinoline, deoxypyridinoline and alkalin e phosphatase showed transient increases followed by gradual decreases in most cases, Correlations were observed between the changes of pyri dinoline and deoxypyridinoline and the findings of bone scintigrams, T he data suggest that serial monitoring of pyridinoline and deoxypyridi noline could be clinically useful as markers of metastatic bone tumors and may allow less frequent bone scintigrams during patient followup.