Urinary gonadotropin peptide as acute phase reactant: transient elevation after operation for digestive diseases

Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.

OBJECTIVE: In order to characterize urinary gonadotropin peptide (UGP) as an acute phase reactant, we focused on the UGP levels after surgical operation. DESIGN: Fifty cases of gastrointestinal cancer, 4 cases of cancers of other organs and 13 cases of benign digestive diseases were enrolled into this study. METHODS: UGP levels were measured using an enzyme immunoassay before and after surgery. RESULTS: Fifty-four (80.6%) of the 67 cases studied showed transient elevations of UGP. Both urinary interleukin (IL)-6 and LH levels were also increased transiently in 49 cases (73.1%). All of these three factors were increased in 38 cases (56.7%), and in 32 (84.2%) of these 38 cases, the order of peak appearance was as follows: IL-6, LH, and UGP. The UGP levels in the group of total gastrectomy were significantly higher than those in the group of partial gastrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that UGP shows a transient peak after surgery, correlating with levels of cytokines such as IL-6. UGP may be an acute phase reactant, and its levels are correlated with the grade of surgical stress.