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

Abstract

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 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. 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. 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.