title: Concentrations of protease and anti-protease in serum of patients with pancreatic cancer.
abstract: We measured the concentrations of trypsin, elastase, and three anti-proteases-alpha 1-macroglobulin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin-in serum from 10 patients with pancreatic carcinoma. All 10 showed increased elastase and decreased alpha 2-macroglobulin concentrations, nine had increased alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, and eight had increases in alpha 1-antitrypsin and trypsin. Serial studies during chemotherapy of one patient showed that the protease concentrations decreased during treatment but the concentrations of the anti-proteases remained abnormal.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Buamah
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Skillen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000097:blood*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology; D014357:Trypsin / Q000097:blood*; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000097:blood*; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D014357:Trypsin