engleski

Adrenal gland tumors are associated with altered enkephalinase activity of neutrophils and lipid peroxidation content in the plasma

Background. Patients with adrenal medullary pheochromocytoma but not patients with non-functional adrenal tumors have elevated content of enkephalins. Enkephalins regulate a number of functions and the duration of the effect depends on the activity of enkephalin degradating enzymes. Methods. Aminopeptidase N (APN, CD13) and enkephalinase (NEP, CD10, CALLA) activity was determinated in neutrophils, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) content in the plasma of healthy persons, patients with pheochromocytoma and patients with non-functional adenoma. Results. NEP activity was significantly (p=0.01) elevated only in patients with pheochromocytoma, while APN activity remained unchanged in both groups of tumor patients. On the other hand, LPO content was elevated (p=0.003) only in patients with non-functional adenoma. Conclusion. The significantly elevated activity of NEP in patients with pheochromocytoma and not in non-functional adenoma might be an additional, simple and unexpensive diagnostic test. The increase of NEP activity in neutrophils is not correlated with the presence of tumor, but associated probably with peptides and hormones linked to pheochromocytoma. On the other hand, LPO content was increased only in the plasma of non-functional adenomas.

adenomas, enkephalinase, lipid peroxidation, pheochromocytoma

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