[Acquired isolated factor VII deficiency and bronchogenic carcinoma. a case report]

An acquired factor VII deficiency was identified in a 63-year-old man with bronchogenic carcinoma. Initial studies indicated a normal activated partial thromboplastin time and a prolonged prothrombin time. The factor VII level was 6%. No evidence of a factor VII inhibitor or inactivator was demonstrable. However, on account of the initial normal laboratory test of emostases, the partial correction of the prothrombin time with 50% normal plasma in vitro and the family history, the congenital deficiency in factor VII was ruled out. Whatever the mechanism involved, this factor VII deficiency was related to malignancy

study on copper and zinc in the serum of some cancer patients

Many reposts had suggested that copper and zinc may reflect diseases activity in lymphoma. Also, zinc helps in the function of WBCs in immune system. Whole blood samples were taken from 6 healthy donors and 10 patients suffering from different types of cancer. Serum copper and zinc were measured by using XRF method. Serum copper of cancer patients is higher than that of controls [P < 0.05] while serum zinc concentration is lower in patients than that of controls. Therefore, these two elements can be used as additional tests in diagnosis and managing cancer patients

The association of adenosine deaminase activity with T-lymphocytes and subsets in pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchogenic carcinoma.

Simultaneous determination of blood/lung ADA activity and T-lymphocyte subsets was conducted in 12 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, 12 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma and 11 healthy volunteers. Differences were significant only in the tuberculosis patients, namely, increased mean enzyme values in both the peripheral blood (36.68 +/- 10.90 U/L) and in the BALF (4.25 +/- 2.19 U/L), and correlation of ADA activity between the blood and the diseased lung only; the difference in elevated enzymatic activity between the tuberculosis group and the cancer group was of no statistical significance. We conclude that simultaneous ADA analysis of the blood and the BALF may be of diagnostic value in cases suspected of having tuberculosis as yet undiagnosed by other means. Based on the lowest value of enzymatic activity in the blood of patients with tuberculosis (28 U/L), the test has a sensitivity of 75 per cent and a specificity of 100 per cent; whereas the lowest value in the BALF of tuberculosis patients (2.9 U/L), the test has a sensitivity of 77 per cent and a specificity of 82 per cent. Findings that there was a blood-lung correlation of elevated ADA activity and a correlation of enzymatic elevation with increased numbers of T-cells bearing IL-2 receptor in cases of pulmonary tuberculosis only provide evidence in support of T-lymphocytes actively participating in the ongoing immune process.

Eletroforese de proteínas plasmáticas no carcinoma broncogênico e na tuberculose / Plasma proteins electrophoresis in bronchogenic carcinoma and tuberculosis

Foram estudadas, pro eletroforese, as fraçöes das proteínas séricas de 140 pacientes, sendo 70 portadores de carcinoma broncogênico e 70 portadores de tuberculose. Nestes dois grupos foram comparados pelo teste pareado de Student, os valores médios das proteínas totais, da albumina e das fraçöes alfa 1, alfa 2, beta e gama das globulinas. Näo houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre as médias das proteínas totais, da albumina, das fraçöes alfa 1, alfa 2 e beta das globulinas. Verificou-se estatisticamente apenas um aumento da média da gama globulina plasmática em portadores de tuberculose comparativamente aos portadores de carcinoma broncogênico. Os autores concluem que no diagnóstico diferencial entre carcinoma broncogênico e tuberculose, o aumento da gama globulina plasmática pode, eventualmente, constituir um dado a mais em favor de tuberculose