Diagnostic Value of the Nuclear Matrix Protein 22 Test and Urine Cytology in Upper Tract Urothelial Tumors

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of the nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) test in comparison to urine cytology for the detection of upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Patients and Methods: Patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract (n = 34) and patients with renal calculosis (n = 25) were included in this study. Voided urine samples and separated catheter urine specimens were assayed for NMP22 and cytological examination. Results: The sensitivity of the NMP22 test in separated and voided urine was 73.2 and 70.5%, respectively, compared to 64.7 and 58.8% of urine cytology. The specificity of the NMP22 test in separated and voided urine was 88 and 92%, respectively, compared to 96 and 96% of urine cytology. The combination of separated and voided urine is the best method because the sensitivity is 79.41% and specificity 88%. There is a high agreement of the NMP22 test in voided and separated urine (kappa = 0.795, p < 0.01), indicating that the voided urine is adequate for diagnosis. Conclusions: The NMP22 test has higher sensitivity but lower specificity than cytology. The combination of these two tests could be a very useful diagnostic method for detection of upper urothelial tumors. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel