ADENOSINE-DEAMINASE ACTIVITY IN GASTRIC-CANCER

Adenosine deaminase activity, the key enzyme of adenosine inactivation , was studied in slices taken endoscopically from gastric cancer and m acroscopically unchanged gastric mucosa surrounding the cancer. The ac tivity of the enzyme was measured in mucosa homogenates by determinati on of ammonia liberated from substrate. It was found that adenosine de aminase activity in neoplastic lesions did not differ significantly fr om normal mucosa and that the gastric region studied tantrum, corpus) did not have an impact. A significant difference in enzyme activity wa s noticed between intestinal and diffuse-type gastric carcinoma (accor ding to Lauren's classification); the intestinal type was characterize d by lower adenosine deaminase activity than was the diffuse type. Sin ce the activity of adenosine deaminase in gastric cancer did not exhib it significant differences from normal mucosa the diagnostic value of its determination is of less importance.