G. Severini, GLUTATHIONE-S-TRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER OF THE DIGESTIVE-TRACT, Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology, 120(1-2), 1993, pp. 112-114
Glutathione S-transferase (GST) and carcinoembryonic antigen were meas
ured in the plasma of 95 patients with neoplasm of digestive tract, in
40 patients suffering from non-neoplastic diseases and in 40 healthy
subjects. The mean value of the GST activity was significantly (P<0.00
1) elevated in patients with gastric, liver and colorectal cancer (10.
4 U/l, 14.1 U/l and 12.3 U/l respectively) as compared with the refere
nce population (3.2 U/l). GST elevations above normal were observed in
26 (90%) patients with gastric cancer, in 18 (100%) with liver cancer
and in 25 (89%) with colorectal cancer. Carcinoembryonic antigen appe
ared less sensitive. In 15 patients the postoperative levels of serum
GST were increased after surgery then gradually declined, and after 1
month showed a normalization in 10 patients. Our data suggest that GST
measurement may be useful as a tumour marker in gastric, liver and co
lorectal cancer. Moreover the combined determination of GST and other
markers increase the sensitivity for cancer detection.