Creatine kinase-BB activity in malignant tumors and in sera from patients with malignant diseases

Creatine kinase (CK EC 2.7.3.2) and CK-BB activity was analyzed in 41 malignant tumors of 6 different sites and different histological structures. The same analyses were done on 150 sera of patients with malignant diseases of various localizations. The rate of CK activity was determined kinetically, whereas tissue and serum CK-BB were separated chromatographically (Mercer). Insofar as malignant tumor tissues are concerned, the highest average rate of CK-BB activity was detected in tumors of the prostate (mean 1450 IU/g), and the lowest in tumors of the parotid gland (mean 5.2 IU/g). CK-BB was detected by the Mercer technique in 56 (37.3%) of 150 analyzed sera of patients with malignant diseases. The rate of CK activity in sera of patients with malignant diseases was 8 to 74 IU/I. In comparison with the site of the malignant process no significant CK serum activity differences were observed. T2-T3 tumors did not significantly influence the activity of either CK or CK-BB in the case of either tissues or sera (T1-T3). Enzyme activity was found to be much higher--both in tumoral tissue and in sera--with T4 tumors. The highest rate of CK-BB activity was found in sera of patients with malignant tumors of the stomach (mean 8.1 IU/I), and the lowest in malignant tumors of the rectum (mean 1.8 IU/l).