Biomaterial Database

Serum beta-N-acetyl hexosaminidase (beta-NAH) as a discriminant between malignant and benign extrahepatic biliary obstruction: comparison with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). 1985

E Scapa, and P Thomas, and M S Loewenstein, and N Zamcheck

Fifty-one patients (16 with malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction, ten with benign extrahepatic biliary obstruction, eight with alcoholic liver disease, five with viral hepatitis and 12 with liver metastases) and 19 adult healthy controls were studied with determinations of beta-N-acetyl hexosaminidase (a lysosomal enzyme which is cleared from the circulation by the Kupffer cells), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), serum bilirubin, alkaline-phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Both CEA and beta-NAH were elevated in each disease group. Elevated beta-NAH levels distinguished between benign and malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction better than CEA levels. Beta-NAH levels for the malignant and the benign groups were 47.6 +/- 14.7 U/l and 23.0 +/- 4.7 U/l (mean +/- S.D.) respectively. The groups differed significantly (P less than 0.001). Plasma CEA levels for both groups were 18.7 +/- 38.9 and 7.2 +/- 3.3 ng/ml (mean +/- S.D.) respectively. Beta-NAH levels for the 19 normal controls were 15.8 +/- 3.5 U/l (mean +/- S.D.). Beta-NAH also was significantly elevated in patients with hepatic metastases (36.9 +/- 20.1 U/l). In 25 cancer patients with metastases other than in the liver beta-NAH levels (18.3 +/- 5.2) were not significantly elevated over the control group. It has potential value as a marker for non-CEA-producing liver metastases.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008107	Liver Diseases	Pathological processes of the LIVER.	Liver Dysfunction,Disease, Liver,Diseases, Liver,Dysfunction, Liver,Dysfunctions, Liver,Liver Disease,Liver Dysfunctions
D008108	Liver Diseases, Alcoholic	Liver diseases associated with ALCOHOLISM. It usually refers to the coexistence of two or more subentities, i.e., ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER; ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS; and ALCOHOLIC CIRRHOSIS.	Alcoholic Liver Diseases,Alcoholic Liver Disease,Liver Disease, Alcoholic
D008113	Liver Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the LIVER.	Cancer of Liver,Hepatic Cancer,Liver Cancer,Cancer of the Liver,Cancer, Hepatocellular,Hepatic Neoplasms,Hepatocellular Cancer,Neoplasms, Hepatic,Neoplasms, Liver,Cancer, Hepatic,Cancer, Liver,Cancers, Hepatic,Cancers, Hepatocellular,Cancers, Liver,Hepatic Cancers,Hepatic Neoplasm,Hepatocellular Cancers,Liver Cancers,Liver Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Hepatic,Neoplasm, Liver
D008297	Male		Males
D002272	Carcinoembryonic Antigen	A glycoprotein that is secreted into the luminal surface of the epithelia in the gastrointestinal tract. It is found in the feces and pancreaticobiliary secretions and is used to monitor the response to colon cancer treatment.	Antigens, CD66e,CD66e Antigen,Antigen, CD66e,Antigen, Carcinoembryonic,CD66e Antigens
D005260	Female		Females
D006525	Hepatitis, Viral, Human	INFLAMMATION of the LIVER in humans due to infection by VIRUSES. There are several significant types of human viral hepatitis with infection caused by enteric-transmission (HEPATITIS A; HEPATITIS E) or blood transfusion (HEPATITIS B; HEPATITIS C; and HEPATITIS D).	Viral Hepatitis, Human,Human Viral Hepatitides,Human Viral Hepatitis,Viral Hepatitides, Human
D006596	Hexosaminidases	Enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of N-acylhexosamine residues in N-acylhexosamides. Hexosaminidases also act on GLUCOSIDES; GALACTOSIDES; and several OLIGOSACCHARIDES.	Galactosaminidases,Hexosaminidase,Galactosaminidase,Glucosaminidase,Glucosaminidases
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000469	Alkaline Phosphatase	An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an orthophosphoric monoester and water to an alcohol and orthophosphate. EC 3.1.3.1.