Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A study of serum glycosidases in cancer

  • Original Paper
  • Clinical Oncology
  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

N-Acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAG) and β-glucuronidase were measured in the serum of 70 patients with breast and digestive-tract neoplasms and in 70 healthy subjects. The mean value of the NAG activity was significantly (P<0.001) elevated in patients with gastric, liver and pancreas cancer as compared with the reference population. In patients with liver and pancreas cancer the very high sensitivity contrasted with a low specificity. NAG elevations above normal were observed in 14 (78%) patients with breast cancer, in 11 (100%) with gastric cancer, in 17 (70%) with colorectal cancer, in 8 (100%) with liver cancer and in 9 (100%) with pancreas cancer. In patients with breast and gastric cancer the enzyme shows a good specificity and sufficient sensitivity as a tumor marker. β-Glucuronidase appeared less sensitive and was significantly elevated (100%) only in patients with pancreas cancer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

NAG :

N-Acetyl-β-gucosaminidase

References

  • Araki T (1969) β-N-Acetylglucosaminidase, β-galactosidase and α-mannosidase activities in human female genital cancer. GANN 60: 373–382

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fishman WH, Kato K, Anstiss CL, Green S (1967) Human serum beta glucuronidase; its measurement and some of its properties. Clin Chim Acta 15: 435–447

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Galen RS, Gambino SR (1975) Beyond normality: the predictive value and efficiency of medical diagnoses. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gressner AM, Roebruck P (1982) Preditive values of serumN-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase for fibrotic liver disorders — correlation with monoamine oxidase activity. Clin Chim Acta 124: 315–326

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morell AG, Gregoriadis G, Scheineberg H, et al. (1971) The role of sialic acid in determining the survival of glycoproteins in the circulation. J Biol Chem 246: 1461–1467

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio di Biochimicas Clinica, Instituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, I-00161, Roma, Italia

    Giancarlo Severini, Loretta Diana & Rita Di Giovannandrea

  2. Instituto Regina Elena, Viale Regina Elena 291, Roma, Italia

    Carlo Tirelli

Authors
  1. Giancarlo Severini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Loretta Diana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rita Di Giovannandrea
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Carlo Tirelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Severini, G., Diana, L., Di Giovannandrea, R. et al. A study of serum glycosidases in cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 121, 61–63 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01202731

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01202731

Key words

Search

Navigation