Electron spin resonance studies on properties of ceruloplasmin and transferrin in blood from normal human subjects and cancer patients.

The methodology of blood sample preparation and analysis has been examined to further evaluate the technique of electron spin resonance (ESR) for possible use in detecting cancer and in monitoring the progress of cancer therapy. Frozen whole blood and serum samples from 278 normal donors and 97 cancer patients were studied by ESR for signal intensity from Cu+2 bound to ceruloplasmin (g factor = 2.05). The signal from this species (Cu+2-CP) in serum rose sharply during the first two hours of storage at room temperature after being drawn from the subject, and then reached a plateau. The average Cu+2-CP ESR signal intensity was significantly different for control groups of males, females not taking estrogen medication, and females taking estrogens. The mean ESR signal intensities of Cu+2-CP from cancer patients separated into the same groups as the control data were approximately twice as great as the mean control levels. Total serum copper levels were correlated with ESR intensities of Cu+2-CP and indicated that the ratio of Cu+2/Cu+1 in CP is higher in serum from cancer patients than from controls.