Enolase Isoenzymes as Tumour Markers

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Abstract
.alpha.- and .gamma.-enolase isoenzyme substance concentrations were measured in serum and plasma from healthy subjects and from 174 patients with different solid tumours. While .alpha.-enolase was found to be increased in the plasma of patients with tumours of quite different origin, .gamma.-enolase apparently reflected malignancies of the neuroendocrine system. Before the beginning of the cytotoxic therapy .gamma.-enolase was increased above the upper limit of the reference range (10 .mu.g/l) in 27/27 patients (100%) suffering from small cell lung cancer. Most patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung or with prostatic cancer exhibited normal .gamma.-enolase, while both tumour types produced high plasma substance concentrations of the .alpha.-isoenzymes of enolase.