Patients with testis tumor were investigated for serum and tissue levels of alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG). The tissue immune peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining for the tumor marker was quantitated by computer-assisted immunohistophotometry and immuno-gamma ray histospectrometry. The results supported the general view that mostly polynuclear giant cells produce beta-HCG in 66 % of nonseminoma cancer. This finding qualifies beta-HCG as relatively unspecific in the absence of chorioepithelial cells in the tumor. Discrepancies of tissue and serum beta-HCG values may be caused by deglycolysation of beta-HCG while penetrating the perivascular tissues. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) appears helpfully to discriminate the true seminoma cancer, which is constantly negative. Histologically pure seminoma which reacts for AFP therefore suggests sclerotic teratoma compartments. A constant finding is the significantly reduced synthesis rate of tumor markers in metastasis compared to primary tumor.

Keywords:
Testis tumor, Tumor marker, α-Fetoprotein, β-Human chorionic gonadotropin, Peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunohistology, Quantification by immunohistophotometry, Immuno-gamma ray spectrometry
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© 1987 S. Karger AG, Basel
1987
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