Quantitative changes in adenosine deaminase isoenzymes in human colorectal adenocarcinomas
ten Kate, J.; Wijnen, J.T.; van der Goes, R.G.; Quadt, R.; Griffioen, G.; Bosman, F.T.; Khan, P.M.
Cancer Research 44(10): 4688-4692
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-5472 PMID: 6147190 Document Number: 234486
Several reports have suggested that a decrease or absence of adenosine deaminase complexing protein (ADCP) is consistently associated with cancer. In other studies, decreased as well as increased ADCP levels were found. ADCP levels were investigated in 37 colorectal adenocarcinomas and the results were correlated with clinicopathological characteristics in individual carcinomas. The levels of adenosine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.4) and soluble ADCP were determined in tissue samples by, respectively, a spectrophotometric assay and an ADCP specific radioimmunoassay. The values in the individual tumors were compared with their histological characteristics, such as degree of differentiation, nuclear grading and the preoperative plasma carcinoembryonic antigen levels in the patients. It was found that ADCP was decreased in about 1/2 of the tumors but unaltered or even increased in others. There was an overall 40% increase of the adenosine deaminase activity in the tumors compared to normal tissues. There seems to be no simple correlation between any of the clinicopathological parameters and the ADCP or adenosine deaminase levels. Methods detecting ADCP at single cell level might be helpful in exploring its potential use as a cancer-associated marker. [Implications with respect to the role of adenosine deaminase in leukemia and chemotherapy are presented.].