SERUM LEVEL OF IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE ACIDIC PROTEIN IN HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS WITH OR WITHOUT RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA

Objective To assess the significance of immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) for detection of renal cell carcinoma in patients undergoing haemodialysis. Patients and methods The serum concentration of both IAP and creatinine was measured in 74 patients undergoing haemodialysis, 10 of whom had renal cell carcinoma and 64 of whom had no renal cell carcinoma. Control data was obtained from 13 healthy blood donors. Results The serum IAP level of patients undergoing haemodialysis was significantly elevated compared with that of the controls. The serum level of IAP in patients with renal cell carcinoma who were undergoing haemodialysis was also considerably higher than that of patients with no renal cell carcinoma. The serum creatinine levels were not significantly different between patients with and without renal cell carcinoma but were significantly elevated when compared with the controls. Conclusion The measurement of serum IAP concentration is of value in the detection of renal cell carcinoma in patients undergoing haemodialysis.