An increase of blood squamous cell carcinoma antigen in Pseudomonas aeruginosa spondylitis

Clin Biochem. 2006 Jun;39(6):662-5. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2006.02.007. Epub 2006 Apr 3.

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) is traditionally engaged for detecting and following up malignancy from a squamous cell origin. We encountered an unusual increase of blood SCCA but no other cancer markers in a patient associated with an infective lumbar spondylitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. An overshooting of Th1 expression, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, bumped up by his uremia as a result of P. aeruginosa infection may hasten SCCA. Therefore, SCCA might additionally serve as a serological marker for infection besides squamous cell cancer, and its false-positive increase also highlights the appropriateness of tumor marker screening.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pseudomonas Infections / immunology*
  • Pseudomonas Infections / microbiology
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / isolation & purification*
  • Serpins
  • Spondylitis / immunology*
  • Spondylitis / microbiology
  • Spondylitis / pathology

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Serpins
  • squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen