B domain containing Tenascin-C: A new urine marker for surveillance of patients with urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder?

BackgroundECM remodelling during tumorigenesis entails the re-occurrence of different Tn-CL splicing variants. In patients with urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UBC), B and C domain containing Tenascin-C (B+ and C+ Tn-C) urine levels were shown to be increased in case of muscle invasiveness. Thus, the present study was aimed at examining the ability of B+ and C+ Tn-C as potential urinary surveillance markers of UBC patients.MethodsUrine levels of B+ and C+ Tn-C were determined by ELISA in 35 UBC patients during a 2 year follow-up period after therapy and related to clinical diagnosis and histological stage in 4 defined groups representing typical courses of disease.ResultsB+ Tn-C levels showed significant differences between cases of tumour progression or regression. The urine levels of B+ Tn-C could be used to discriminate between cases without tumour recurrence and such with tumour existence (cut-off value: 0.8 ng/ml) or between non-muscle invasive and muscle invasive tumour growth (cut-off value: 3.5 ng/ml).ConclusionsProgression of UBC with time is accompanied by significant changes in urinary levels of B+ Tn-C. Urinary B+ Tn-C can therefore be suggested as a valuable urine surveillance marker in UBC follow-up care.