[Protease-antiprotease balance in patients with invasive carcinoma of the cervix and uterus before and after radiotherapy].
Malignant cells have the ability to invade and metastasize in great part because they secrete proteolytic enzymes. In order to investigate if the abnormal proteinase/antiproteinase balance of cancer bearing patients changes when the malignant tumor is destroyed, we studied 50 patients with invasive carcinoma of the cervix and 33 healthy women as a control group. Patients with cancer were treated with radiation according to the protocols of our hospital. The following serum determinations were performed: plasminogen activators (PA), cathepsin B (CB), antiproteinase alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), trypsin inhibitory capacity (TIC) and antiproteolitic activity ratio (AAR), all of them before and after treatment. Serum proteolytic activity was elevated manyfold in all patients with invasive tumor as well A1AT. The antiproteolytic activity however, was significantly reduced to about 50% of its normal value in the same group of patients. In patients with good response to radiotherapy (tumor necrosis) a great reduction of proteinase activity as well as a recovery to normal of the AAR was observed. Contrary, in those with a poor response after radiation, proteolytic activity remained elevated and AAR diminished. It is concluded that serum PA, CB, A1AT and AAR values can be precise indicators of the presence of malignancy. These tests might be also of help for improving follow-up studies and for better prognostic estimates.
Benítez-Bribiesca
L
L
de la Huerta-Sánchez
R
R
Villanueva
C
C
Freyre Horta
R
R
Pastrana
L
L
Guevara
R
R
D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D014357:Trypsin / Q000502:physiology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000032:analysis*
D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D014357:Trypsin; D002401:Cathepsin B
Balance proteasa-antiproteasa en pacientes con carcinoma cervicouterino invasor antes y después de la radioterapia.