title: Serum thymidine kinase in colorectal neoplasia.
abstract: Thymidine kinase (TK), an enzyme known to be associated with DNA synthesis, has been measured in the serum of patients with asymptomatic colorectal adenomas (n = 40), asymptomatic colorectal carcinoma (n = 21) and patients known to have hepatic metastases form colorectal tumours (n = 33); enzyme levels have been compared with an age-matched group of asymptomatic people with no evidence of colorectal neoplasia at screening colonoscopy (n = 26). TK activity in patients with metastatic disease (median 4.23; range 2.03-14.12 pmol/ml/h) and in patients with adenomas (median 2.33; range 1.59-8.73 pmol/ml/h) was significantly higher than in the normal controls (median 2.04; range 1.29-5.40 pmol/ml/h). However TK activity in patients with asymptomatic cancer (median 1.85; range 1.00-4.50 pmol/ml/h) was not significantly different from the control group.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hardcastle
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D003092:Colitis / Q000201:enzymology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D013937:Thymidine Kinase