Abstract
Tumor growth is associated with a number of metabolic abnormalities. Glucose metabolism is deranged as frequently revealed by an impaired oral glucose tolerance test. Lipoprotein lipase activity is depressed, resulting in hypertrigliceridemia after an exogenous lipid load. Also protein metabolism is deranged in cancer patients, as revealed by changes of plasma amino acid profile. Our previous studies on plasma amino acids have shown that increased plasma free tryptophan levels are a frequent finding in cancer patients. To sustain a possible role for free tryptophan as a marker of neoplastic disease, we measured its plasma concentrations in 241 patients with cancer. Plasma free tryptophan concentrations were found to be significantly elevated with respect to healthy controls in patients with breast, lung, colon, stomach, and cancer from various origin. The sensitivity of this marker in predicting the presence of the tumor was highest for stomach and lung cancer patients. High plasma free tryptophan concentrations seem to be directly related to the presence of the tumor, since in breast cancer patients they returned to within normal range after eradicative surgery.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
P.H. Sugarbaker, N.R. Dummick, E.V. Sigarbaker, Diagnosis and staging, in: Cancer, principles and practice of oncology, edited by V.T. De Vita, S. Hellman, S.A. Rosenberg (JB Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1982), pp. 223–230.
J.A. Norton, M. Maher, R. Wesley, D. White, M.F. Brennan, Glucose intolerance in sarcoma patients, Cancer 54, 3022–3027 (1984).
P.S. Schein, D.D. Kisner, D. Haller, M. Blecher, M. Hamosh, Cachexia of malignancy. Potential role of insulin in nutritional management, Cancer 43, 2070–2076 (1979).
K. Lundholm, A.C. Bylund, T. Schersten, Glucose tolerance in relation to skeletal muscle enzyme activities in cancer patients, Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. 37, 267–272 (1977).
R.G. Douglas, J.H.F. Shaw, Metabolic effect of cancer, Br. J. Surg. 77, 246–254 (1990).
R.T. Chlebowski, L. Bulcavage, M. Grosvenor, et al., Hydrazine sulfate in cancer patients with weight loss. A placeb-controlled clinical experience, Cancer 59, 406–410 (1987).
C. Waterhouse, Lactate metabolism in patients with cancer, Cancer 33, 66–71 (1974).
C. Waterhouse, N. Jeanpetre, J. Keilson, Gluconeogenesis from alanine in patients with progressive malignant disease, Cancer Res. 39, 1968–1972 (1979).
A. Cascino, C. Cangiano, F. Ceci, et al., Plasma amino acid in human cancer: individual role of tumor, malnutrition and glucose toerance, Clin. Nutr. 7, 213–216 (1988).
M. Muscaritoli, C. Cangiano, A. Cascino, F. Ceci, L. Giacomelli, P. Cardelli Cangiano, M. Mulieri, F. Rossi Fanelli, Plasma clearance of exogenous lipids in patients with malignant disease, Nutrition 6, 147–151 (1990).
J.A. Norton, T.P. Stein, M.F. Brennan, Whole body protein synthesis and turnover in normal man and malnourished patients with and without known cancer, Ann. Surg. 194, 123–128 (1981).
R.S. Warren, M. Jeevanandam, M.F. Berman, Protein synthesis in the tumor-influenced hepatocyte, Sur geo 98, 275–282 (1985).
K. Lundholm, K. Bennegard, E. Eden, G. Svaninger, P.W. Emery, M.J. Rennie, Efflux of 3methylhistidine from the leg in cancer patients who experience weight loss, Cancer Res. 42, 4807–4811 (1982).
A. Cascino, M. Muscaritoli, C. Cangiano, L. Conversano, A. Laviano, S. Ariemma, M.M. Meguid, F. Rossi Fanelli, Plasma amino acid imbalance in patients with lung and breast cancer, Anticancer Res. 15, 507–510(1995).
F. Rossi Fanelli, C. Cangiano, F. Ceci, R. Cellerino, F. Franchi, E.T. Menichetti, M. Muscaritoli, A. Cascino, Plasma tryptophan and anorexia in human cancer, Eur. J. Cancer Clin. Oncol. 22, 89–95 (1986).
C. Cangiano, A. Cascino, F. Ceci, et al., Plasma and CSF tryptophan in cancer anorexia, J. Neural Transm. 81, 225 (1990).
A. Cascino, C. Cangiano, F. Ceci, F. Franchi, T. Mineo, M. Mulieri, M. Muscaritoli, F. Rossi Fanelli, Increased plasma free tryptophan levels in human cancer: a tumor related effect? Anticancer Res. 11, 1313–1316 (1991).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Laviano, A., Cascino, A., Muscaritoli, M., Fanfarillo, F., Fanelli, F.R. (2003). Tumor-Induced Changes In Host Metabolism: A Possible Role For Free Tryptophan As A Marker Of Neoplastic Disease. In: Allegri, G., Costa, C.V.L., Ragazzi, E., Steinhart, H., Varesio, L. (eds) Developments in Tryptophan and Serotonin Metabolism. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 527. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0135-0_41
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0135-0_41
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-4939-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0135-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive