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Variant serum β‐hexosaminidase as a biochemical marker of malignancy
Author(s) -
Plucinsky Mark C.,
Prorok Joseph J.,
Alhadeff Jack A.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19861001)58:7<1484::aid-cncr2820580718>3.0.co;2-r
Subject(s) - medicine , malignancy , hexosaminidase , tumor marker , pathology , biochemistry , cancer , enzyme , biology
Previous studies have demonstrated a variant form of β‐hexosaminidase in metastatic tumor tissue of human liver and in sera from cancer patients with liver metastases. The current investigation examined sera for the presence of the variant form of β‐hexosaminidase from a large and heterogeneous group of cancer patients (with different primary sites and differing degrees of metastatic involvement), from normal controls and pathological controls with nonmalignant diseases. Comparison of the total serum β‐hexo‐saminidase activity levels and the percentage of the total activity comprised of β‐hexosaminidase B (Hex B) revealed no significant differences ( P > 0.01) between the three groups. Analytical isoelectric focusing indicated that the variant β‐hexosaminidase was present in 80% of 108 cancer patients, 37% of 27 pathological controls and 11% of 18 normal controls. Examination of subgroups of the cancer patients based on the extent of metastasis revealed that there was a significant increase in total serum β‐hexo‐saminidase activity and the presence of variant β‐hexosaminidase in the sera as the disease progressed. These results suggest that serum β‐hexosaminidase may be a useful marker for monitoring the progression of malignant disease.