title: Isoenzymes A and B of N-acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidase in serum and urine of patients with pancreatic cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adenocarcinoma is the most frequent malignant tumor of the pancreas. Biochemical diagnostics of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is based on determination of carcinoma antigen (CA 19-9) in the blood. Determination of N-acetyl-beta-hexosaminidase (HEX) in the serum and urine was used in diagnosis of renal and gastric cancers. Therefore the aim of our research was to estimate N-acetyl-beta-hexosaminidase (HEX) and its isoenzymes (HEX A and HEX B) in the serum and urine as potential markers of pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum and urine samples were collected from 15 patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and 15 healthy persons. The activity of N-acetyl-beta-hexosaminidase and its isoenzymes (A and B) was determined by a colorimetric method of Zwierz et al. Absorbancy of the yellow product of the colorimetric reaction was determined on the microplate reader EL(x)800 produced by BIO-TEK. The concentration of HEX, HEX A and B was expressed in pKat/mL, and the specific activity in pKat/mg of protein. Protein concentration was determined in the serum by the biuret and in the urine by the Lowry method, respectively, and expressed in mg/mL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration and specific activity of HEX and its isoenzyme A were significantly higher in the serum and urine of pancreatic cancer patients in comparison with the concentration and specific activity in the serum and urine of healthy people.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the activity of HEX and its isoenzyme A determined in the serum and urine can be used as a potential marker of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. spoak@amb.edu.pl
authors.forename: Slawomir Dariusz
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Szajda
authors.forename: Jadwiga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Snarska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jankowska
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Puchalski
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zwierz
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D054818:Hexosaminidase A / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D054819:Hexosaminidase B / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D054818:Hexosaminidase A; D054819:Hexosaminidase B