Acute‐Phase Proteins or Tumour Markers: The Role of SAA, SAP, CRP and CEA as Indicators of Metastasis in a Broad Spectrum of Neoplastic Diseases

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Abstract
Two hundred and seventy-seven patients with a broad spectrum of neoplastic diseases, including 10 classes of solid tumours and three classes of haematologic malignancies, were retrospectively surveyed, and from the same sample of plasma or serum their concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), serum amyloid P component (SAP), C-reactive protein (CRP), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were measured. SAA levels varied from 105 ng/ml to 105,000 ng/ml, and mean SAA levels were higher in patients with metastatic tumours than in those with limited disease (Pr=0.74, P<0.001), suggesting that SAA originates as an acute-phase protein rather than as a tumour cell product. However, the consistent elevation of SAA in all tumour types and the more marked elevation in metastatic disease may make its measurement useful in malignancy.