Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) in benign and malignant diseases

Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) is a 239 kDa internal nuclear matr ix protein described to be elevated in cancer patients especially in colore ctal carcinoma and early colorectal cancers. We tested the significance of NuMA as tumour marker in colorectal cancer and also the sensitivity / speci ficity profile in general. Therefore, we investigated in a retrospective cl inical study 507 sera from patients suffering from solid tumours, with the main emphasis on colorectal carcinoma, and 418 sera from patients with beni gn diseases and healthy individuals. Testing was done with a double monoclo nal enzyme immunoassay detecting head and rod domain of NuMA and results we re compared to the established tumour associated antigens. Based on a speci ficity of 95% versus the benign reference group of gastrointestinal disease s, we found - at the time of primary diagnosis - a sensitivity for colorect al cancer of 8 % for NuMA, 36 % for CEA and 17 % for CA 19-9. Regarding T-s tages of colorectal cancer no marker detected :T1 when regarding 95 % speci ficity-cut-off value but NuMA showed little more sensitivity when based on a 95 % specificity cut off value versus healthy. This could not be shown in Dukes' stages. Regarding all other solid tumours tested - all based on a s pecificity of 95 % for the corresponding benign reference groups - no advan tage of NuMA in sensitivity for all other solid tumours investigated was fo und. No additional sensitivity could be observed Based on our results, the NuMA-assay in its present form has no clinical relevance.