1145
INCREASED &ggr;-GLUTAMYL TRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN HUMAN COLON CANCER
SIR, The activity of 7-glutamyl transferase (E.G. 2.3.2.2, G.G.T.) in adenocarcinomas of rat colon induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (D.M.H.) was six to seven times higher than that in the colon of normal adult rats. In fetal and neonatal rats, the level of G.G.T. in the colon was almost as high as in adenocarcinomas.’ D.M.H.-induced cancers closely resemble adenocarcinomas found in human colon.2 We wanted, therefore, to know whether human colon adenocarcinomas were also distinguishable from the normal homologous tissue by increased G.G.T.
activity.
Histochemical reaction for G.G.T.3 on frozen sections from fresh specimens of resected human colon cancers has demonstrated that these tumours do indeed contain an accumulation of G.G.T., in contrast to adjacent normal tissue in which G.G.T. was limited to the external layer of columnar epithelium. A specimen of an adenocarcinoma removed from the ascending colon of a 57-year-old man with persisting rectal bleeding showed intensely G.G.T.-positive cancer cells, contrasting with G.G.T.-negative normal tissue adjacent to this tumour (figs. 1 and 2). The similarity between human and rat adenocarcinomas of the colon makes it probable that a detectable increase in G.G.T. activity could be found in preneoplastic human colon just as it was seen in the preneoplastic stage of D.M.H.-induced colon carcinogenesis. In this process, which usually requires 12 weekly injections of 21 mg/kg to develop cancer of the colon within 5-6 months,2 we have seen an increase of G.G.T. as early as after the sixth injection. The progress from preneoplastic stage in rat liver is connected with the prolongation of G.G.T. half-life, its different electrophoretic behaviour, and the change from adaptive (reversible) to the constitutive (irreversible) form of G.G.T.4 There is reason to believe that similar R. W., Fiala, E. S. Arch. Geschwulstforsch. 1977, 47, 117. 2. Druckrey, H., Preussmann, R., Matzkies, F., Ivankovic, S. Naturwissenschaften, 1967, 54, 285. 3. Rutenburg, A. M., and others J. Histochem. Cytochem. 1969, 17, 517. 4. Fiala, S., Kettering, W. G. Fedn. Proc. 1979, 38, 1403.
1.
Fiala, S., Fiala, A. E., Keller,
Fig. 2-Normal mucosa close to tumour in fig. 1. G.G.T.-negative except
at
upper
edge of columnar epithelium. (x63.)
occur in the course of human colon carcinogenesis might eventually be possible to use cells which are constantly being shed in the intestinal tract for diagnostic and
events
may
and that it
oromostic purposes. Cell Physiology Laboratory and Department of Surgery, V.A. Medical Center, Martinsburg, West Virginia 25401, U.S.A.
SILVIO FIALA EDGAR TROUT BABULAL PRAGANI
Dana
Naylor Institute for Disease Prevention, Valhalla, New York
EMERICH S. FIALA
PROSTATIC ACID PHOSPHATASE
SIR,-The work of Gutman and Gutman’ correlating the level of serum acid phosphatase with the diagnosis of prostatic cancer established acid phosphatase as perhaps the first bloodborne tumour marker. Despite improvements in technique, detection of the tissue origin of this enzyme and its identification in patients with by and large localised disease have been fraught with difficulty. However, immunological studies of antigens of human prostatic fluid2-4 and tissueS,6 and of their diversity in health and disease have demonstrated the presence of tissue and species specific antigens characterised as prostate-specific acid phosphatase (P.S.A.P.).4-6 Immunoassay of P.S.A.P. is now thought to be a potentially useful marker for the early detection of prostatic cancer.7-9 Furthermore, the use 1. 2.
Gutman, A. B., Gutman, E. B. J. clin. Invest. 1938, 17, 473. Barnes, G. W., Soanes, W. A., Gonder, M. J., Mamrod, L., Shulman, S. J. Lab. clin. Med.
1963, 61, 578.
3. Barnes, G. W., Shulman, S., Gonder, M. J., Soanes, W. A. ibid. 1965, 66, 741. 4. Shulman, S., Mamrod, L., Lang, R. W., Gonder, M. J., Soanes, W. A. J.
Reprod. Fert. 1965, 10, 55. 5. Ablin, R. J., Bronson, P., Soanes, W. A., 1329 6. Ablin, R. J. Cancer, 1972, 29, 1570 7.
Fig.
1-Adenocarcinoma in ascending colon of 57-year-old male.
G.G.T.-positive cancer tissue background. (x 63.)
appears dark
(red) against pale (blue)
Witebsky, E. J.
Immun. 1970,
104,
Foti, A. G., Cooper, J. F., Herschman, H., Malvaez, R. R. New Engl. J.
Med. 1977, 297, 1357. 8. Choe, B. K., Pontes, E. J., McDonald, I., Rose, N. R. Cancer Treatment
Rep. 1977, 61, 201. 9.
Lee, C., Wang. M. C., Murphy, G. P., Chu, T. M. Cancer Res. 1978, 38, 2871.
INCREASED &ggr;-GLUTAMYL TRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN HUMAN COLON CANCER
SIR, The activity of 7-glutamyl transferase (E.G. 2.3.2.2, G.G.T.) in adenocarcinomas of rat colon induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (D.M.H.) was six to seven times higher than that in the colon of normal adult rats. In fetal and neonatal rats, the level of G.G.T. in the colon was almost as high as in adenocarcinomas.’ D.M.H.-induced cancers closely resemble adenocarcinomas found in human colon.2 We wanted, therefore, to know whether human colon adenocarcinomas were also distinguishable from the normal homologous tissue by increased G.G.T.
activity.
Histochemical reaction for G.G.T.3 on frozen sections from fresh specimens of resected human colon cancers has demonstrated that these tumours do indeed contain an accumulation of G.G.T., in contrast to adjacent normal tissue in which G.G.T. was limited to the external layer of columnar epithelium. A specimen of an adenocarcinoma removed from the ascending colon of a 57-year-old man with persisting rectal bleeding showed intensely G.G.T.-positive cancer cells, contrasting with G.G.T.-negative normal tissue adjacent to this tumour (figs. 1 and 2). The similarity between human and rat adenocarcinomas of the colon makes it probable that a detectable increase in G.G.T. activity could be found in preneoplastic human colon just as it was seen in the preneoplastic stage of D.M.H.-induced colon carcinogenesis. In this process, which usually requires 12 weekly injections of 21 mg/kg to develop cancer of the colon within 5-6 months,2 we have seen an increase of G.G.T. as early as after the sixth injection. The progress from preneoplastic stage in rat liver is connected with the prolongation of G.G.T. half-life, its different electrophoretic behaviour, and the change from adaptive (reversible) to the constitutive (irreversible) form of G.G.T.4 There is reason to believe that similar R. W., Fiala, E. S. Arch. Geschwulstforsch. 1977, 47, 117. 2. Druckrey, H., Preussmann, R., Matzkies, F., Ivankovic, S. Naturwissenschaften, 1967, 54, 285. 3. Rutenburg, A. M., and others J. Histochem. Cytochem. 1969, 17, 517. 4. Fiala, S., Kettering, W. G. Fedn. Proc. 1979, 38, 1403.
1.
Fiala, S., Fiala, A. E., Keller,
Fig. 2-Normal mucosa close to tumour in fig. 1. G.G.T.-negative except
at
upper
edge of columnar epithelium. (x63.)
occur in the course of human colon carcinogenesis might eventually be possible to use cells which are constantly being shed in the intestinal tract for diagnostic and
events
may
and that it
oromostic purposes. Cell Physiology Laboratory and Department of Surgery, V.A. Medical Center, Martinsburg, West Virginia 25401, U.S.A.
SILVIO FIALA EDGAR TROUT BABULAL PRAGANI
Dana
Naylor Institute for Disease Prevention, Valhalla, New York
EMERICH S. FIALA
PROSTATIC ACID PHOSPHATASE
SIR,-The work of Gutman and Gutman’ correlating the level of serum acid phosphatase with the diagnosis of prostatic cancer established acid phosphatase as perhaps the first bloodborne tumour marker. Despite improvements in technique, detection of the tissue origin of this enzyme and its identification in patients with by and large localised disease have been fraught with difficulty. However, immunological studies of antigens of human prostatic fluid2-4 and tissueS,6 and of their diversity in health and disease have demonstrated the presence of tissue and species specific antigens characterised as prostate-specific acid phosphatase (P.S.A.P.).4-6 Immunoassay of P.S.A.P. is now thought to be a potentially useful marker for the early detection of prostatic cancer.7-9 Furthermore, the use 1. 2.
Gutman, A. B., Gutman, E. B. J. clin. Invest. 1938, 17, 473. Barnes, G. W., Soanes, W. A., Gonder, M. J., Mamrod, L., Shulman, S. J. Lab. clin. Med.
1963, 61, 578.
3. Barnes, G. W., Shulman, S., Gonder, M. J., Soanes, W. A. ibid. 1965, 66, 741. 4. Shulman, S., Mamrod, L., Lang, R. W., Gonder, M. J., Soanes, W. A. J.
Reprod. Fert. 1965, 10, 55. 5. Ablin, R. J., Bronson, P., Soanes, W. A., 1329 6. Ablin, R. J. Cancer, 1972, 29, 1570 7.
Fig.
1-Adenocarcinoma in ascending colon of 57-year-old male.
G.G.T.-positive cancer tissue background. (x 63.)
appears dark
(red) against pale (blue)
Witebsky, E. J.
Immun. 1970,
104,
Foti, A. G., Cooper, J. F., Herschman, H., Malvaez, R. R. New Engl. J.
Med. 1977, 297, 1357. 8. Choe, B. K., Pontes, E. J., McDonald, I., Rose, N. R. Cancer Treatment
Rep. 1977, 61, 201. 9.
Lee, C., Wang. M. C., Murphy, G. P., Chu, T. M. Cancer Res. 1978, 38, 2871.
