Summary: a-and γ-enolase isoenzyme substance concentrations were measured in serum and plasma from healthy subjects and from 174 patients with different solid tumours. While α-enolase was found to be increased in the plasma of patients with tumours of quite different origin, γ-enolase apparently reflected malignancies of the neuroendocrine System. Before the beginning of the cytotoxic therapy γ-enolase was increased above the upper limit of the reference r nge (10 μg/l) in 27/27 patients (100%) suffering from small cell lung cancer. Most patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung or with prostatic cancer exhibited normal γ-enolase, while both tumour types produced high plasma substance concentrations of the aisoenzymes of enolase.
Wertigkeit der Enolase-Isoenzyme als TumormarkerZusammenfassung: Die Substanzkonzentrationen von a-und γ-Enolase-Isoenzym wurden im Serum und Plasma von Gesunden und 174 Patienten mit unterschiedlichen, soliden Tumoren bestimmt. W hrend sich die α-Enolase-Formen als relativ unspezifisch, d. h. bei unterschiedlichen Tumoren im Plasma erh ht fanden, zeigten die γ-Isoenzyme maligne Erkrankungen des neuroendokrinen Systems relativ spezifisch an. Bei einem Kollektiv von 27 Patienten mit kleinzelligem Lungen-Karzinom fand sich vor der Therapie in 100% der F lle ein Anstieg der γ-Enolase ber den oberen Referenzwert (10 Hg/l). Patienten mit Plattenepithel-Karzinom der Lunge und solche mit Prostata-Karzinomen hatten in der Regel normale γ-Enolase-, dagegen erh hte aEnolase-Substanzkonzentrationen im Plasma.
Introdiictionstudied and characterized by Marangos* group (2). Cells related to the amine precursor uptake and de-Recently it was found that small cell lung carcinoma carboxylation (APUD) System (1) share several com-cells also express APUD ceU-specific markers such s mon properties, which include the ability to produce bombesin, L-dopa decarboxylase and γ-enolase (3). and secrete peptides, the presence of storage vesicles The first report by Carney et al. (4) that γ-enolase is and a similar enzyine and isoenzyme pattern. One of elevated to a high degree in the serum of most small the marker proteinsforthis System is the γ-isoenzyme cell lung cancer patients was confirmed by others of enolase (neuron-specific enolase, NSE) extensively (5 -14), but it became evident that patients suffering