This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Salo, E. J. Articles by Huhtala, H. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Salo, E. J. Articles by Huhtala, H. J.

Determination of Carbocyanine Dye-binding Polyanions in Malignant and Nonmalignant Disease States¹

Central Hospital of Keski-Pohjanmaa, Laboratory and Medical Departments, SF 67200 Kokkola 20 [E. J. S., S. A. R., H. J. H.]; Central Hospital of Vaasa, Radiotherapy Department, SF 65130 Vaasa 13 [R. E. S.]; and Malm's Regional Hospital, Laboratory Department, SF 68600 Pietarsaari, [B. O. S.], Finland

Cancer-related changes in the serum seromucoid fraction are well known. Last year Woodman published an interesting carbocyanine dye binding method for determination of serum carbohydrate polyanions in sera of normal, traumatized, and tumor-bearing mice. The usefulness of this method for clinical practice has been investigated in this study.

Carbocyanine dye-binding polyanion (CPA) and the sialidase-sensitive fraction of this polyanion (SPA) have been determined in sera of 705 human subjects including healthy normal individuals and patients suffering from a broad spectrum of malignant and nonmalignant disease states. Overall, in malignant diseases the CPA and SPA values, in mg pectin equivalents per liter (mean ±2 S.D.) (292 ± 111 and 135 ± 68, respectively) were significantly higher than in the serum from normal controls (166 ± 33; 74 ± 18) and patients hospitalized with a variety of nonmalignant diseases (195 ± 56; 92 ± 36). The highest CPA and SPA values were found in gynecological (331 ± 117; 149 ± 69), bronchial (294 ± 72; 137 ± 51), and gastrointestinal cancers (316 ± 111; 154 ± 69). Elevated CPA values were found in 59.9% and elevated SPA values in 52.8% of patients suffering from malignant diseases. Successfully, radically treated cancer patients with no detectable residues or metastases for at least 1 year had values (186 ± 39; 76 ± 24) almost within the normal ranges (93 to 250 mg pectin equivalents per liter for CPA and 35 to 120 mg pectin equivalents per liter for SPA).

¹ This study was supported by grants from the foundation of Republics President J. K. Paasikivi and from the Research Foundation of Laake Oy. Presented in part at the Third Meeting of the European Association for Cancer Research, in Nottingham, September 23–25, 1975.

² To whom requests for reprints should be sent, at Central Hospital of Keski-Pohjanmaa, Laboratory Department, SF 67200 Kokkola 20 Finland.

Received 1/ 9/76. Accepted 4/13/76.