Activity of some lysosomal enzymes in neutrophils from peripheral blood of patients with digestive tract cancer at different clinical stages of the disease. A cytochemical study.

Activity of acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase was investigated cytochemically in neutrophils from peripheral blood of 22 untreated patients with gastric cancer, 8 patients with cancer of large intestine and in 40 healthy individuals. Differences in the activity of enzymes studied were demonstrated between patients at different clinical stages of cancer advancement, as well as between cancer patients and healthy subjects. Most significant changes were observed in patients with initial (1st stage) cancer, as compared with the control group, including decrease of acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase activity, accompanied by an enhanced N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase activity. The possible mechanism of these changes is discussed.