title: [Alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase as tumour markers and factors intensifying carcinogenesis in colorectal cancer].
abstract: Numerous experiments have shown that alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) are present in cells of various cancers and play role in carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to compare the capacity for ethanol metabolism measured by ADH isoenzymes and ALDH activity, between colorectal cancer and normal colonic mucosa. We have also investigated the serum activity of these enzymes in colorectal cancer patients as potential tumour markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The activities of ADH isoenzymes and ALDH were measured in the: cancer tissue, healthy colonic mucosa and serum of 42 patients with colorectal cancer. For the measurement of the activity of class I ADH isoenzyme and ALDH activity the fluorometric methods was employed. The total ADH activity and activity of class III and IV isoenzymes was measured by the photometric method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The activity of total alcohol dehydrogenase and class I of ADH were significantly higher in cancer cells than in healthy tissues. The other tested classes of ADH had higher activities in cancer tissue but the differences were not statistically significant. The activity of ALDH was significantly lower in the cancer cells. The activities of all tested enzymes and isoenzymes in colorectal cancer tissue were not significantly higher in drinkers than in non-drinkers. Additionally we observed statistically significant increasing activity of class I ADH isoenzymes in the sera of patients with colorectal cancer. For this reason the total ADH activity was also significantly increased. The activities of ADH III and ADH IV isoenzymes and ALDH were unchanged in the sera of patients. There were no marked differences in activities of all tested enzymes and isoenzymes between drinkers and non-drinkers (with colorectal cancer).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differences in activities of total ADH and class I ADH isoenzymes between colorectal cancer tissues and healthy mucosa might be a factor of ethanol metabolism disorders, which can intensify carcinogenesis. The increased total activity of alcohol dehydrogenase and class I isoenzyme in the sera of colorectal cancer patients seems to be caused by release of this isoenzyme from cancer cells. Total ADH activity or ADH I activity in the serum may be approved as candidates for markers of colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Uniwersytet Medyczny w Białymstoku, Zakład Diagnostyki Biochemicznej. wjelski@amb.edu.pl
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jelski
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Orywal
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kedra
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szmitkowski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D003106:Colon / Q000201:enzymology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007527:Isoenzymes; D000431:Ethanol; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase