title: [Clinical significant of sialic acid concentrations in the serum of melanoma patients].
abstract: Sialyltransferase activities and sialic acid concentrations were measured in sera form patients with malignant melanoma (n = 49), healthy control persons (n = 20), and patients with non-malignant skin disorders (n = 30). Both parameters were found to be higher in malignant melanoma patients than in healthy control persons, but they were not significantly higher in primary melanoma patients than in patients with benign skin orders, unless widespread dissemination of metastases had occurred. The highest values were found in patients with liver and lung metastases. In early stages of the disease, shedding from tumor cells seems not to be the major source of elevated serum levels of sialyltransferase and sialic acid, respectively. There is no general correlation between sialyltransferase activities and sialic acid concentrations. However, a correlation was found between serum concentrations of sialic acid and orosomucoid in patients with melanomas stage III, indicating that humoral defense mechanisms contribute to the higher values in advanced stages of the disease.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000097:blood; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D012794:Sialic Acids; D012799:Sialyltransferases
vernacular_title: Klinische Bedeutung der Sialinsäurekonzentration im Serum von Melanompatienten.