Plasma histaminase activity in carcinoma of the cervix--its clinical significance.

Plasma histaminase activity has been estimated in 79 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. The mean plasma histaminase value is significantly higher in patients than in controls (P less than 0.001). The plasma histaminase activity falls significantly following radiotherapy (P less than 0.001). Pretreatment plasma histaminase values do not show any correlation with clinical stages and the posttreatment values decline significantly but remain higher in clinical stages III and IV than in stages I and II. The increased plasma histaminase activity also reflects the degree of differentiation within the tumor. Further it is noted that the plasma histaminase value is inversely proportional to the radiation response. It is suggested that estimation of plasma histaminase activity can serve as an important marker in assessing the treatment response and monitoring the course of treatment.