muramidase and Precancerous-Conditions

The study was concerned with measurement of lysozyme activity of saliva in healthy subjects and patients with different pathologies of the stomach including precancer and cancer. It established a considerable decrease in this parameter in cancer and precancer as compared with healthy controls. Assay of saliva lysozyme activity was found to yield more specific and prognostic data than clinical symptoms and examination of the patient. This procedure proved highly valuable in forming groups at risk for stomach cancer, due to providing significant differences in saliva lysozyme activity indices between "healthy subjects--stomach pathology" and "precancer--precancerous changes--stomach cancer" groups.

Topics: Clinical Enzyme Tests; Duodenal Ulcer; Duodenitis; Gastritis, Atrophic; Gastritis, Hypertrophic; Humans; Muramidase; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; Precancerous Conditions; Prognosis; Risk Factors; Saliva; Sensitivity and Specificity; Stomach Neoplasms; Stomach Ulcer

A total of 89 gallbladders with various conditions were examined histologically and immunohistochemically to detect various kinds of metaplastic changes. The gallbladder mucosa of the fetus and normal gallbladder showed no metaplastic changes. In 32 cases of chronic cholecystitis, metaplastic changes, such as mucous gland metaplasia (23 cases), Paneth's cells (six cases), and goblet cells (four cases) were observed. All cases containing Paneth's cells or goblet cells showed simultaneous lysozyme immunoreactivity and also contained argyrophilic cells. Among 23 cases with mucous gland metaplasia, 15 cases showed lysozyme immunoreactivity, eight contained argyrophilic cells, and 16 showed lysozyme immunoreactivity and/or argyrophilic reaction. The other seven cases showed only mucous gland metaplasia without endocrine cells or lysozyme immunoreactivity. These results suggest that the presence of lysozyme and/or endocrine cells is a conventional marker of gastrointestinal metaplasia of the gallbladder mucosa. Using these markers, 14 (28.6%) of 49 cases of adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder contained endocrine cells; 18 (36.7%) showed lysozyme immunoreactivity; and 25 (51.0%) contained at least one marker of endocrine cells or lysozyme immunoreactivity. These results suggest that at least half of adenocarcinomas of the gallbladder might be derived from metaplastic changes.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous; Adolescent; Adult; Argyria; Child; Child, Preschool; Cholecystitis; Cholelithiasis; Fetus; Gallbladder; Gallbladder Neoplasms; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Infant; Metaplasia; Muramidase; Precancerous Conditions; Serotonin; Staining and Labeling

Malignant transformation in cells is accompanied by enzymatic changes that may be useful markers of malignancy. Studies of oncofetal antigens in gastric juice show an increased concentration in patients with gastric carcinoma. The object of the present study was to test if the concentration of lysosomal enzymes and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were altered in patients with gastric carcinoma compared to patients earlier operated with gastric resection--a supposedly premalignant condition. The results show that no differences could be found in CEA and beta-hexosaminidase levels between the patients with gastric carcinoma and those with gastric resection. However, lysozyme content was significantly higher in gastric carcinoma and might prove useful for screening of patients after gastric resection. Both CEA, beta-hexosaminidase, and lysozyme levels were significantly higher in patients with gastric carcinoma than in a control population, and can therefore have a role in screening of asymptomatic patients.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adult; Aged; beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Gastrectomy; Gastric Juice; Hexosaminidases; Humans; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Precancerous Conditions; Stomach Neoplasms

Topics: Enzyme Activation; Humans; Mouth Neoplasms; Muramidase; Pharyngeal Neoplasms; Precancerous Conditions; Saliva; Salivary Glands

Topics: Anemia, Sideroblastic; Bone Marrow Examination; Cytarabine; Female; Humans; Immunodiffusion; Immunoelectrophoresis; Immunoglobulins; Iron; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Male; Melphalan; Mercaptopurine; Middle Aged; Multiple Myeloma; Muramidase; Precancerous Conditions; Prednisone; Staining and Labeling; Vincristine

Topics: Female; Humans; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute; Leukemia, Myeloid; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Leukocyte Count; Male; Monocytes; Muramidase; Myeloproliferative Disorders; Neutrophils; Precancerous Conditions

Topics: Aged; Anemia, Sideroblastic; Ascorbic Acid; Autopsy; Blood Cell Count; Blood Transfusion; Bone Marrow; Bone Marrow Cells; Bone Marrow Examination; Erythrocytes; Erythropoiesis; Folic Acid; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hyperplasia; Iron; Leukemia, Myeloid; Male; Middle Aged; Monocytes; Muramidase; Precancerous Conditions; Pyridoxine; Vitamin B 12