Beta-glucuronidase activity in neutrophils of patients with malignancies.

The human neutrophils induce cytotoxic effects on mammalian tumor cells. Hence it may be expected that intracellular enzymatic deficiencies of neutrophils may represent another cancer risk factor. In 205 patients with various malignancies the neutrophil beta-glucuronidase activity has been determined using a semiquantitative cytochemical method. A statistically significant deficiency of this enzyme in neutrophils has been observed in patients with precancerous states of the larynx, cancer of the larynx after radiotherapy and patients with cancer of large intestine. Patients with cancer of the lung and cancer of the stomach showed no changes with that regard whereas those with cancer of the breast demonstrated an increased enzyme activity.