Serum carotenoids and uric acid levels in relation to cancer

Comparative Evaluation of Serum Urea, Uric Acid, and Creatine Kinase Levels in Oral Cancer and Potentially Malignant Disorders of the Oral Cavity: A Clinico-Biochemical Study

Introduction Evidence suggests that oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are linked to increased possibilities of malignant transformation, creating a challenging situation. If oral cancer is detected early, the prognosis is better. The purpose of this study was to compare the serum levels of urea, uric acid (UA), and creatine kinase in patients with provisionally diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed cases of potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer to those of age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Materials and methods Eighty patients over the age of 18 with a clinical diagnosis of oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) or oral cancer and verified histopathology were included in the research. Using the kinetic methodology, the enzymatic colorimetric method, and the UV-kinetic approach, respectively, the serum concentrations of urea, uric acid, and creatine kinase were quantified in vitro following the venipuncture of 2 mL of venous blood. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY, USA) was used for the statistical analysis. Results Comparing OPMD and oral cancer patients to healthy controls, serum urea levels were found to be greater, uric acid levels to be lower, and creatine kinase levels to be higher. Conclusion Prognostic markers for OPMDs and oral cancer may include urea, uric acid, and creatine kinase. However, this may be accomplished by large-scale prospective research.

Determination of common urine substances as an assay for improving prostate carcinoma diagnostics

Recently, interest in the identification of non-invasive markers for prostate carcinoma detectable in the urine of patients has increased. In this study, we monitored the abundance of potential non-invasive markers of prostate carcinoma such as amino acid sarcosine, involved in the metabolism of amino acids and methylation processes, ongoing during the progression of prostate carcinoma. in addition, other potential prostate tumor markers were studied. The most significant markers, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and free PSA (fPSA), already used in clinical diagnosis, were analyzed using an immunoenzymometric assay. Whole amino acid profiles were also determined to evaluate the status of amino acids in patient urine samples and to elucidate the possibility of their utilization for prostate carcinoma diagnosis. To obtain the maximum amount of information, the biochemical parameters were determined using various spectrophotometric methods. All results were subjected to statistical processing for revealing different correlations between the studied parameters. We observed alterations in most of the analyzed substances. Based on the results obtained, we concluded that the specificity of prostate carcinoma diagnosis could be improved by determination of common urine metabolites, since we compiled a set of tests, including the analysis of sarcosine, proline, PSA and uric acid in the urine. These metabolites were not observed in the urine obtained from healthy subjects, while their levels were elevated in all patients suffering from prostate carcinoma.

Metabolomic phenotype of gastric cancer and precancerous stages based on gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry

BACKGROUND AND AIM

  To study the low-molecular-weight metabolites in blood plasma of patients with the progressive disease, gastric cancer, and to characterize different stages from chronic superficial gastritis (CSG) to chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), intestinal metaplasia (IM), gastric dysplasia (DYS) and finally gastric cancer (GC).

METHODS

  We applied gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOF-MS) to determine metabolites levels in plasma obtained from 80 patients including 19 with CSG, 13 with CAG, 10 with IM, 15 with DYS and 22 with GC (nine preoperation and 13 postoperation). Principal component analysis (PCA) and statistics were used to differentiate the stages and to identify the markers of gastric cancer.

RESULTS

  Totally, 223 peaks were detected in GC/TOF-MS and 72 compounds were authentically identified. CSG showed distinct difference from the other groups of CAG, IM, DYS and GC, whose plots clustered closely. IM clustered closely to GC, suggesting similar metabolic patterns of them. Fifteen identified metabolites contributed most to the differentiating between CSG and GC, and characterized different stages of GC. Statistics revealed elevated levels of 2-Hydroxybutyrate, pyroglutamate, glutamate, asparagine, azelaic acid, ornithine, urate, 11-eicosenoic acid, 1-monohexadecanoylglycerol and γ-tocopherol, while downregulation of creatinine, threonate in GC group, indicating that GC patients were obviously involved in oxidative stress, and perturbed metabolism of amino acids and fatty acids.

CONCLUSION

  The metabolic phenotype of CSG is significantly different from GC, while that of IM is similar to it. The discriminatory metabolites characterizing progressive stages from CSG to GC might be the potential markers to indicate a risk of GC.

Local and systemic oxidant/antioxidant status before and during lung cancer radiotherapy

To examine local and systemic oxidative status of lung cancer (LC) and oxidant effects of radiotherapy (RT), this study evaluated antioxidants and markers of oxidative and nitrosative stress in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and in the blood of 36 LC patients and 36 non-cancer controls at baseline and during and after RT for LC. LC patients had higher baseline serum urate, plasma nitrite and lower serum oxidized proteins than controls (p = 0.016, p < 0.001 and p = 0.027, respectively), but BAL fluid oxidative stress markers were similar. RT tended to raise some antioxidants, however, significant increases were seen in serum urate, conjugated dienes and TBARS (p = 0.044, p = 0.034 and p = 0.004, respectively) 3 months after RT. High urate at baseline may compensate against the oxidative stress caused by LC. RT shifts the oxidant/antioxidant balance towards lipid peroxidation, although the antioxidant defense mechanisms of the body appear to counteract the increased oxidative stress rather effectively.

Plasma Uric Acid Levels in Women With Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

The objective of this study was to determine the association of plasma levels of uric acid, an endogenous antioxidant, in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), while controlling for the confounding effects of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, age, smoking, and use of oral contraception. Plasma-reduced and oxidized uric acid levels were determined in 650 women by high-performance liquid chromatography, employing electrochemical technique. The findings demonstrated that 1) plasma-reduced uric acid (PRUA) levels in women with CIN (n = 311) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) compared with women in a control group (n = 339); 2) according to multiple logistic regression analysis, PRUA levels were negatively (P = 0.0113) and HPV infection were positively associated (P < 0.0001) with CIN, after controlling for the confounding effects of the studied factors; 3) according to multiple regression analysis, there was a 31% decrease in CIN risk for each incremental increase of 1mg/dl of PRUA; and 4) according to polychotomous logistic regression analysis, independent of HPV infection, PRUA level was inversely associated with the histopathological graded severity of CIN. We have previously reported decreased plasma levels of exogenous antioxidants, for example, vitamins C and E, in women with CIN independent of HPV infection. The data suggest that plasma deficiencies of several antioxidants in HPV-infected uterine cervical tissue may create an oxidative environment that renders the tissue susceptible to free radical damage. It may be speculated that chronic free radical-induced tissue damage in the context of persistent HPV infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of CIN.

Serum antioxidant and cholesterol levels in patients with different types of cancer

Serum antioxidant (urate, alpha-tocopherol) activity and cholesterol concentration in 142 patients of Indian and Arab (Kuwaitis and other Arabs) origin with different types of cancer (breast, colon, stomach, thyroid, oral, rectal, pancreatic, and renal) were compared to 100 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Values were expressed as medians (interquartile range). Urate concentration was significantly decreased in male patients compared to male controls (P < 0.0001) and in female patients and female breast cancer cases compared to female controls; P < 0.0001 and P = 0.001, respectively. Alpha-tocopherol concentration decreased significantly in total cancer, stomach, colon, rectal, and breast cancer cases than the controls; P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, P = 0.012, and P = 0.022, respectively. Cholesterol concentration decreased significantly in stomach, oral, colon, and total cancer cases compared to the controls; P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, P = 0.002, and P = 0.012, respectively. Among controls, females had significantly (P < 0.0001) lower concentrations of alpha-tocopherol than males. Among patients, cholesterol, urate, and alpha-tocopherol concentrations decreased significantly in smokers than in nonsmokers; P < 0.0001, P = 0.004, and P = 0.047, respectively. Generally, changes in alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol ratios mimicked changes in alpha-tocopherol concentration. Concentrations of all parameters decreased significantly in male patients compared to male controls. Age was positively associated with all three analytes with respect to the controls. Alpha-tocopherol correlated with cholesterol in cancer patients (r = 0.367; P < 0.0001) and with urate in the controls (r = 0.342; P < 0.0001). The data suggest cancer-related diminished synthesis of cholesterol and, generally, a greater antioxidant burden for alpha-tocopherol than urate in cancer-generated oxidative stress. The increased incidence of pancreatic cancer in Kuwaitis warrants further study.

Plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and urate in patients with different types of cancer

OBJECTIVE

To measure plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and urate to determine whether there is any relationship with different types of cancer before treatment.

METHOD

Plasma concentrations of those two antioxidants were measured in cancer patients and sex- and age-matched controls. Plasma total cholesterol concentration was measured to derive an alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol ratio.

RESULTS

Alpha-tocopherol and urate concentrations as well as alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol ratios were significantly lower in the cancer patients as whole, in gastrointestinal cancer and in breast cancer compared to the controls. There was no significant relationship between alpha-tocopherol and urate levels in either the plasma of patients (r=0.048; P=0.653) or controls (r=0.073; P=0.406). Alpha-tocopherol was more positively correlated with cholesterol in the plasma of controls (r=0.539; P < 0.0001) in comparison with the patients (r=0.456; P < 0.0001). There was no significant correlation between urate and cholesterol levels in both patient and control plasma samples.

CONCLUSION

The data suggest that although alpha-tocopherol and urate provide important antioxidant defence in cancer, the association between their levels is weak.

Dietary carotenoids and certain cancers, heart disease, and age-related macular degeneration: a review of recent research

Key epidemiologic studies show associations between high dietary intakes of certain carotenoid-containing fruits and vegetables and reduced risk of prostate cancer, breast cancer, head and neck cancers, cardiovascular disease, and age-related macular degeneration, although overall the evidence is inconsistent. Little is known about the potential biochemical mechanisms whereby carotenoids might protect against disease, and human intervention trials are limited to high dose beta-carotene, which is not protective against lung cancer or cardiovascular disease. Authoritative scientific organizations continue to emphasize increased consumption of fruits and vegetables but do not make specific recommendations for carotenoids because of a lack of data that directly link them to disease reduction.

Ascorbic acid and uric acid levels in lung cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

To study any possible association between serum ascorbic acid and uric acid levels with lung cancer.

METHOD

Serum ascorbic acid and uric acid levels in lung cancer patients (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 45) were measured.

RESULTS

The mean values for serum ascorbic acid were found to be significantly lower (P< 0.05) in patients (0.112+/-0.020) than in controls (0.394+/-0.029). Serum uric acid levels of patients were also significantly lower than those of controls (P< 0.05).

CONCLUSION

There was no association between serum levels of ascorbic acid and uric acid, cholesterol, triglyceride and albumin levels with lung cancer.