Acid phosphatase and non-specific alpha-naphthol acetate esterase activities of monocytes in patients with cancer of the digestive tract during surgical treatment.

In 22 patients with cancer of the alimentary tract the activities of acid phosphatase and non-specific alpha-naphthol acetate esterase in monocytes were tested. The enzyme activity was tested in the peripheral blood before surgical intervention, in blood from vessels draining the tumour before its excision and in the peripheral blood before surgical intervention, in blood from vessels draining the tumour before its excision and in the peripheral blood 2--3 weeks after tumour excision. In parallel tests the enzyme activity was estimated in the peripheral blood of 22 healthy individuals. The study indicates that the non-specific alpha-naphthol acetate esterase activity of monocytes derived from patients with cancer and control group did not show a marked difference. The acid phosphatase activity in monocytes derived from a tumour efferent vessel was found to be higher in majority of the cases than the activity of this enzyme in monocytes derived from the peripheral blood. After removing the tumour the acid phosphatase activity of monocytes was elevated in half of the cases. It seems possible that the increase of acid phosphatase activity in monocytes derived from cancer patients may be due to the activation of monocytes in contact with cancer antigens or antigen-antibody complexes.