EVALUATION OF THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF RETINOBLASTOMA GENE AND CARBOHYDRATE ANTIGEN (CA19-9) EXPRESSION IN BILHARZIAL AND NON BILHARZIAL BLADDER CANCER

Abstract

Bladder cancer is a major health problem in Egypt. It is one of the first cancers associated with industrialization. In Egypt its endemicity is correlated to bilharziasis and it is mostly of S.C.C cell type which present usually as an advanced and aggressive tumor.

The genetic and molecular studies of bladder cancer represent an advanced non-invasive techniques in prediction of the clinical course and prognosis of this disease. The behavior of the epithelial cells to gain hyperplasia and acquire malignant transformation and the tendency of the tumor cells to invade and metastasize could be assessed by detection of certain gene expression in the tumor tissue or certain antigens in the sera of patients with bladder cancer, these genes are called tumor supressor genes which are normally functioning as inhibitors of cell proliferation and division during the cell cycle and the antigens are either tumor associated or specific antigens.

Serum CA19-9 is a tumor associated antigen called (tumor cancer antigen or serum carbohydrate antigen) and it is present in sera of patients with malignant tumors associated with a mucin rich in carbohydrate.

The serum level of CA19-9 is measured by E.L.I.S.A technique, its cut off value in serum is 37 u/mL blood.