[Measurements and clinical usefulness of carboxyterminal propeptide of type I collagen and cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen in patients with prostate cancer].

Carboxyterminal propeptide of type I collagen (P1CP) and cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (1CTP) are known as parameters of bone metastasis in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). We measured the serum P1CP and 1CTP levels in 52 PCa patients and evaluated the clinical usefulness of these serum markers. Both serum levels of P1CP and 1CTP were significantly higher in patients with extent of disease (EOD) grade 2 or 3 bone metastases than in patients without bone metastasis. Thus, P1CP and 1CTP are not as useful at first detection of bone metastases as bone scintigram. On the other hand, in the patients who indicated high serum levels of P1CP or 1CTP before initial treatment, the changes in the concentrations of these markers may be helpful in evaluating the response to treatment or the progression of disease. Our results suggest that P1CP and 1CTP are useful markers for monitoring the metastatic burden in the bone of PCa patients, but the efficacy is limited in high EOD grade cases.