REDUCED NONSPECIFIC STEROIDAL ESTERASE-ACTIVITY IN HUMAN-MALIGNANT TUMOR-TISSUE FROM LIVER, COLON AND BREAST WHEN COMPARED TO PERITUMORAL AND NORMAL TISSUE-LEVELS

The levels of a nonspecific steroidal esterase estimated as alpha naph thyl acetate esterase (ANAE) activity were measured in apparently norm al (peritumoral) tissue of liver, colon and breast cancer patients, in malignant tumor tissue from the same patients and in normal colon tis sue from healthy individuals who never had colon cancer. Cancer tissue from all three organs showed 35-79% reduced levels of ANAE activity w hen compared to peritumoral tissue of the same organ (p<0.03). When AN AE activity of normal colon tissue from healthy individuals who never had colon cancer was compared with peritumoral colon tissue from colon cancer patients, which were combined with colonic biopsies from cance r-free patients previously operated on for colon cancer, a 50 % reduce d ANAE activity was observed in these tissues compared to the normal ( p<0.005). A highly significant reduction of enzyme activity was also f ound when malignant colon tissue from the cancer patients was compared to normal colon tissue from healthy individuals who never had colon c ancer.