K. Tsunematsu

Aldolase isozymes in human tissue and serum. With special reference to cancer diagnosis

Aldolase isozyme activity was estimated on die basis of rate of degradation of 2 substrates, fructose‐1, 6‐diphosphate (FDP) and fructose‐1‐phosphate (FIP). Degradation ratios of these 2 substrates (FDP/F1P) in the liver and skeletal muscle were 1 and 54 respectively. In other tissues, it was found to be between these 2 values. However, FDP/F1P ratio of cancerous tissues was approximately that in skeletal muscle, irrespective of tissue origin. FDP/F1P ratio in healthy human serum was less than 5 in all cases, while that of cancer patient serum was mostly elevated to over 5. In other diseases, only muscular dystrophy showed serum FDP/F1P ratio of more than 5. This was also true of the effusions due to various diseases; FDP/F1P ratio was over 5 in all cancerous effusions and less than 1.5 in noncancerous. These results, therefore, indicate that the determination of aldolase isozyme ratio FDP/F1P in serum and effusions can be of value for the diagnosis of cancer.

Aldolase isoenzymes in normal and gastric cancerous tissues

Our previous reports have been concerned with the evaluation of the validity of activity measurement iso-enzymatic and analysis of~-glucuronidase in basal gastric juice as a tool for the diagnosis of gastric cancer. Our conclusion was that electrophoretie analysis as well as measurement of activity of ~-gl. could be one of supplemental tools for the diagnosis of gastric cancer. One of troubles with the method left to be solved was to prevent an inactivation of ~-gl. by the effect of acidity. (~-gl. is inactivated with pH lower than 3,0) Thus we have evaluated the validity of intragastric neutralization with sodium bicarbonate solution. Our present report consists of two parts: one is concerned with the evaluation of the intragastric neutralization method, and the other is to investigate the mechanism by which gastric juice comes to contain higher activity and abnormal isozymes in cases of gastric cancer. Results: 1) Intragastric neutralization with sodium bicarbonate is satisfactorily effective to prevent an inactivation of/?-gl, when pH of gastric juice is lower than 3.0. Combinat ion of activity measurement and isozyme analysis of ~-gl. in gastric juice gave a correct diagnosis in 83% of early gastric cancer and 95% of advanced cancer. Large amount (60 80 ml) of sodium bicarbonate solution seems to give better results than the small amount (20-30 ml). 2) Histochemical evaluation of/3-gl, of gastric mueosa in various gastric diseases showed that well differentiated adenocarcinoma and normal mucosa nearby showed high fi-gl, activity wheras undifferentiated carcinoma showed no more than normal activity. Biochemical study of homogenate of gastric mucosa gave similar results. On the contrary, howcvre, gastric juice showed abnormally high ~-gl. activity in undifferentiated as well as differenclated carcinoma. There found no correlation between ~-gl. activity and DNA concentration of gastric juice, suggesting that necrosis and exfoliation of cancer cells would not be playing a major role in increasing ~-gl. activity in cancer cases. These results rather suggest tha t an increased permeability of cancer cell membrane would most probably be a cause. This, however, awaits further investigation and a direct proof,

The differential diagnosis of the hepatobiliary diseases by131I labeled BSP

1) Among 297 cases of gallstone surgery, nine died. Mortality rate was 3.0 per cent. 2) Causes of death were, liver insufficiency, renal insufficiency, hemorrhagic shock, cardiac insufficiency, and acute pneumonia. 3) Mortality of the aged was higher than younger group. Impairement of liver function study influenced worse results. 4) We emphasize the case of portal hypertension for gallstone surgery. Measurement of portal pressure and portalgraphy would be performed for these cases during surgery.

The studies in alterations of lysosomal enzymes in hepatic disorders-with special reference to the relation between lysosomal enzymes and lipoperoxide in CCL4 intoxicated rats

Since the level of activity of serum glucokinase is high in normal and low in liver diseases. Serum glucokinase may be considered liberated from the liver. The level of serum hexokinase is high in cancerous patient. In cancerous tissues, are increased generally not only the activity of the supernatant fraction but also that of the mitochondrial fraction in many cases. In the liver of cancerous patient the activity of hexokinase was found either extremely increased or not increased. In the cases of cancerous patients, there was observed the affinity for hexokinase to liver mitochondria.