[Tumorous origin of the hexokinase in human biological fluids]

Hexokinase of the endometrium and gastric mucosa is represented by 5 isoenzymes. The "simplification" of HK isoenzyme spectrum is characteristic of cancer tissue. So, in gastric cancer there is a disappearance of the "slowest" isoenzyme, while in malignant endometrium the "fastest" one was absent. Hexokinase isoenzymes of the serum were identical to those in the tumors in question, that indicates the tumor origin of the body fluid hexokinase. The latter was not observed in normal body fluids. The isoenzymic composition of hexokinase in uterine fibromyoma did not differ from that in normal tissues. If hexokinase appeared in the serum of these patients, its isoenzymic composition was similar to that in the normal uterus. The study on the hexokinase isoenzyme composition may be a valuable adjunct in establishing the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant tumors.