Serum amyloid a as an independent prognostic factor for renal cell carcinoma--a hospital based study from the Western region of Nepal.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our present study was to assess the role of serum amyloid A (SAA) in stages and prognosis of renal cell carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was a hospital based retrospective study carried out in the Department of Medicine and Biochemistry of Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2011. The variables collected were SAA, CRP. Approval for the study was obtained from the institutional research ethical committee. Quantitative analysis of human SAA and C-reactive protein (CRP) was performed by radial immune diffusion (RID) assay for all cases. RESULTS: Of the 422 total cases of renal cell carcinoma, 218 patients had normal and 204 abnormal SAA. SAA levels were grossly elevated in T3 stage (122.3±SD35.7) when compared to the mean for the T2 stage (84.2±SD24.4) (p value 0.0001). Similarly, SAA levels were grossly elevated in M1 stage (190.0±SD12.7) when compared to the M0 stage (160.9±SD24.8) (p 0.0001). There was no significant association with elevated CRP levels (209.1±SD22.7, normal 199.0±SD19.5) . CONCLUSION: The validity of SAA in serum as being of independent prognostic significance in RCC was demonstrated with higher levels in advanced stage disease.