Interrelation between lipidemia and somatomedin activity in cancer and age-associated pathology.

The study included 191 patients with obesity, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, endometrial cancer, breast cancer and healthy subjects of various age. Somatomedin activity was determined by incorporation of radioactive natrium sulfate in vitro into the cartilage of female rats. The results of the study showed that somatomedin activity was not changed in subjects with normal metabolic parameters and ranged from 0.47 to 0.69 U/ml. In patients with diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis and obesity accompanied by increased blood concentration of cholesterol and triglycerides, somatomedin activity rose up to 1.36- 1.62 U/ml. In patients with breast and endometrial cancer somatomedin activity was also increased, particularly in those with hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia (3.04 U/ml for breast cancer patients and 2.20 U/ml for endometrial cancer patients). Theoretically, this may promote proliferation of somatic cells and thus contribute to tumor processes in oncological patients whose pool of cells is extremely sensitive to mitogenic agents.