A new approach using tissue alkaline phosphatase activity to identify early testicular cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To establish the specificity and sensitivity of alkaline phosphatase activity in testicular tumours for the early detection of testicular germ cell tumours (GCTs).

METHODS

Samples from patients with GCTs of the testis were sectioned and stained using the nitroblue tetrazolium salt (NBT)/5 bromo-4-chloro-3-indolylphosphate (BCIP) Sigma Fast substrate technique (referred to as MEDC) and peroxidase antiperoxidase (PAP) assay. Additionally, several cell lines from GCTs and other tumours were cultured using standard techniques and stained using both methods, and lysates from all samples were stained after gel electrophoresis.

RESULTS

MEDC showed strong and specific staining of testicular tumours only. The activity on gel electrophoresis appeared as two bands, one at 75 and one at 95 kDa, which was a unique combination for testicular tumours and testis cell lines.

CONCLUSIONS

The MEDC method has extreme sensitivity and intensity for testicular tumour tissue and has potential use as a powerful tool for the early detection of testicular GCTs by analysing semen samples, particularly in patients with equivocal findings on testicular ultrasonography.