A NEW APPROACH USING TISSUE ALKALINE-PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY TO IDENTIFYEARLY TESTICULAR CANCER

Objective To establish the specificity and sensitivity of alkaline pho sphatase activity in testicular tumours for the early detection of tes ticular germ cell tumours (GCTs). Materials and methods Samples from p atients with GCTs of the testis were sectioned and stained using the n itroblue tetrazolium salt (NBT)/5 bromo-4-chloro-3-indolylphosphate (B CIP) Sigma Fast substrate technique (referred to as MEDC) and peroxida se anti-peroxidase (PAP) assay. Additionally, several cell lines from GCTs and other tumours were cultured using standard techniques and sta ined using both methods, and lysates from all samples were stained aft er gel electrophoresis. Results MEDC showed strong and specific staini ng of testicular tumours only. The activity on gel electrophoresis app eared as two bands, one at 75 and one at 95 kDa, which was a unique co mbination for testicular tumours and testis cell lines. Conclusion The MEDC method has extreme sensitivity and intensity for testicular tumo ur tissue and has potential use as a powerful tool for the early detec tion of testicular GCTs by analysing semen samples, particularly in pa tients with equivocal findings on testicular ultrasonography.