Peroxydase activity of the granulocytes in the course of surgical treatment of neoplasm of the alimentary tract.

Granulocyte peroxidase activity of patients with alimentary tract neoplasms has been investigated by using the histochemical method. Blood samples were collected before surgical treatment and anaesthesia, during surgical intervention from vessels draining the neoplasms, and 2-3 weeks after surgery from peripheral vessels. The activity of myeloperoxidase in the polymorphonuclear granulocytes of patients was evidently lower in comparison to the activity of this enzyme in the granulocytes of normal individuals. The excision of the tumour did not evidently increase the tested activity in blood from peripheral vein in comparison to the same sample and to the blood from vein draining of tumour. We can suggest that granulocytes may release myeloperoxidase to the surrounding media in the course of neoplasmatic diseases and in this case the cells are exhausted in this enzyme.