title: Protease and antiprotease concentrations in serum and vaginal fluid of patients with carcinoma of the cervix.
abstract: The capacity of malignant cells to invade and disseminate throughout the tissues is partly due to the fact that these cells synthesize and secrete proteases and plasminogen activators. Its growth can be inhibited by antiproteolytic substances in vitro or by natural inhibitors such as alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) and alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2MG). It is a known fact that in cervical cancer, serum A1AT levels are elevated, but so far it has not been determined if serum proteolytic activity is elevated and if both occur simultaneously in vaginal fluid. 32 cases of invasive carcinoma of the cervix, and 25 non-cancerous women were studied. A1AT, A2MG, cathepsin B, trypsin inhibitory capacity (TIC), plasminogen and proteins in plasma and vaginal fluid were studied. In cancer cases, proteolytic activity of serum and vaginal fluid (cathepsin B) is elevated, when compared to controls (p less than 0.001). A1AT and A2MG levels are clearly elevated in plasma, but not in the vaginal fluid; TIC was elevated in serum in cancer cases (1.31 vs. 1.74 p less than 0.005) but was not altered in vaginal fluid. It was found that in cases of carcinoma in situ cathepsin B, plasminogen, A1At and A2MG and CIT were significantly increased (p less than 0.001, p less than 0.001, p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.01 respectively). In vaginal fluid the only statistically significant figure increased was cathepsin B (p less than 0.001). These studies show an altered protease-antiprotease balance in patients with carcinoma of the cervix uteri.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000201:enzymology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D014621:Vagina
chemical_list: D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases