title: Serum-sialyltransferase activity in cancer patients.
abstract: Serum-sialyltransferase activity was measured in serum samples of 116 patients with malignant tumors of various origins and different clinical stages using asialo-fetuin as the acceptor and cytidine-5'-mono-phospho[14C]sialic acid as the donor. Only patients with metastatic tumors had significantly elevated serum-sialyltransferase levels. Increased enzyme activity was also associated with rheumatoid arthritis and with acute hepatitis, whereas no significant alteration of enzyme activity was observed in cystic fibrosis patients. In a group of tumor patients, various additional tumor markers were determined (carcinoembryonic antigen, alkaline phosphatase: Regan isoenzyme, creatinekinase: BB-isoenzyme, lactatedehydrogenase: isoenzyme 5) and the data compared to the clinical diagnoses. The sensitivity and specificity of serum-sialyltransferase as a tumor marker is assessed.
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000201:enzymology; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000201:enzymology; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000097:blood*; D014166:Transferases / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D014166:Transferases; D012799:Sialyltransferases; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase