Changes of serum carotenoids in patients with esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, pancreatic and colorectal cancer

The serum levels of carotenoids (vitamin A, lutein, zeaxanthin, alfa- and b eta cryptoxanthin, alfa- and beta-carotene) were measured in healthy person s (n=40) and in 98 patients with different malignant gastrointestinal disea ses (44 patients with colon adenocarcinoma, 21 with gastric cancer, 15 with hepatocellular adenocarcinoma, 10 patients with pancreas adenocarcinoma an d eight patients with esophagus cancer). The serum levels of carotenoids we re measured with high-pressure liquid chromatography. The sera of the patie nts were taken at the time of the diagnosis. Results: the measurements indi cated that (1) the serum level of vitamin A and zeaxanthin were significant ly lower in all of these groups (except of pancreas adenocarcinoma), but th e extent of theAdecrease was different in the patients with different types of gastrointestinal malignancy. The serum level of vitamin A was in the he althy subjects 2.072 +/-0.332 mmol/l and in the case of gastrointestinal ma lignancies was 0.77 +/-0.14 mmol/l (P <0.001) The serum level of zeaxanthin was in the healthy subjects 0.143 +/-0.057 mmol/l and at the malignancies was 0.042 +/-0.014 mmol/l (P <0.01). (2) There were no significant differen ces in the serum levels of other carotenoids in the checked groups. (3) The serum level of cholesterol, total protein. albumin and haemoglobin were in the normal range in these patients. These results indicate that the carote noids may be responsible nutritional factors (as nutritional scavengers) in the development of different malignant diseases. This supposed role in the carcinogenesis does not depend fully on the vitamin A activity. (C) 2001 E lsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.