Serum β₂-Microglobulin and Prognosis of Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

β₂-Microglobulin (β₂-M) was analysed in serum of 145 patients with renal cell carcinoma, and serum creatinine <125 μmol/1 by a radioimmunometric method. Forty-nine (34%) patients had serum β₂-M level≥3.0 mg/1. Of the patients with distal metastases 46% had elevated levels, compared with 19% with stage I disease. Serum β₂-M correlated with histopathologic grade; 58% of the patients with poorly differentiated (grade 4) tumours had elevated levels compared with 18% in grade 1-2 tumours. Also tumour cell type was associated with serum β₂-M; 52% of the patients with plasmic tumours had elevated levels compared with 6% in the clear cell type. In a univariate prognostic analysis elevated serum β₂-M level was inversely correlated with survival time. Using a multivariate analysis the strong prognostic factors were clinical stage and tumour diameter. Weaker factors were age and cell type, whereas the prognostic value of serum β₂-M disappeared. However, if tumour cell type was excluded from the analysis, serum β₂-M was identified as a prognostic factor.