title: The activity of serum beta-galactosidase in colon cancer patients with a history of alcohol and nicotine dependence: preliminary data.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Beta-galactosidase (GAL) is a lysosomal exoglycosidase involved in the catabolism of glycoconjugates through the sequential release of beta-linked terminal galactosyl residues. The stimulation of activity of exoglycosidases and other degradative enzymes has been noted in cancers as well as in alcohol and nicotine addiction separately. This is the first study to evaluate the activity of the serum senescence marker GAL in colon cancer patients with a history of alcohol and nicotine dependence, as a potential factor of worse cancer prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The material was serum of 18 colon cancer patients and 10 healthy volunteers. Ten colon cancer patients met alcohol and nicotine dependence criteria. The activity of beta-galactosidase (pkat/ml) was determined by the colorimetric method. Comparisons between groups were made using the Kruskal-Wallis analysis and differences evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to measure the statistical dependence between two variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The activity of serum GAL was significantly higher in colon cancer patients with a history of alcohol and nicotine dependence, in comparison to colon cancer patients without a history of drinking/smoking (p=0.015; 46% increase), and the controls (p=0.0002; 81% increase). The activity of serum GAL in colon cancer patients without a history of alcohol/nicotine dependence was higher than the activity in the controls (p = 0.043; 24% increase).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher activity of beta-galactosidase may potentially reflect the accelerated growth of the cancer, invasion, metastases, and maturation, when alcohol and nicotine dependence coincide with colon cancer. For a better prognosis of colon cancer, alcohol and nicotine withdrawal seems to be required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Napoleon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Waszkiewicz
authors.forename: Sławomir Dariusz
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Szajda
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Waszkiewicz
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wojtulewska-Supron
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szulc
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kępka
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chojnowska
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dadan
authors.forename: Jerzy Robert
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ładny
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zwierz
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zalewska-Szajda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001616:beta-Galactosidase