effects of alcohol and smoking on serum sssaliva, and urine sialic acid levels

To investigate the effect of smoking and alcohol on serum, saliva, and urine total sialic acid [TSA] levels, and on serum gamma-glutamyltransferase [GGT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], and alanine aminotransferase [ALT] enzyme activities. Serum, urine and saliva samples obtained from smokers, drinkers, and nonsmokers-nondrinkers [control] subjects. Total sialic acid was measured with the Warren's colorimetric method, modified by Ponnio et al. The study was performed at the Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, University of Kahramamaras Sutcu Imam, Turkey, in 2002. Serum and saliva TSA levels of alcohol drinkers and serum TSA levels of smokers were higher than those in control subjects. Urine TSA levels were much higher in alcohol drinkers than those in healthy subjects and smokers. Serum GGT activities were high in smokers and alcohol drinkers and there was no statistically significant difference in serum AST levels between smokers and non-smokers and also serum AST levels were higher in alcohol drinkers than those in control subjects and smokers. Serum ALT levels were higher in smokers and alcohol drinkers than those in controls. Our results indicate that serum TSA were affected by, and possibly related to, smoking, and that serum GGT, AST, ALT and serum TSA can be used as a marker for monitoring of alcohol abuse. Our study indicate that urine, and saliva TSA can be used as non-invasive markers for alcohol abuse. However, further studies are necessary to evaluate the concentrations of TSA on a greater number of serum, saliva, and urine samples from smokers and drinkers

Significance of total and lipid bound sialic acid in serum and urine as markers for bladder cancer

The reliability of serum total sialic acid [TSA], serum lipid bound sialic acid [LSA]. and urinary sialic acid / creatinine ratio [TSA / Cr. ratio] as markers for bladder cancer for grading, staging and follow-up purposes was evaluated in 10 healthy controls and 70 patients with bladder cancer, 25 of them with superficial tumors were evaluated after treatment with TUR for follow up. We found that TSA. LSA and TSA / Cr. ratio levels were significantly higher in patients with bladder cancer [56.9 +/- 8.9 mg /dl, 22.3 +/- 2.3 mg /dl and 37.2 +/- 16.1 ug/mg creatinine respectively] than controls [48.8 +/- 7.1 mg/dl, 16.9 +/- 0.6mg /dl and 11.9 +/- 5.1 ug /mg creatinine respectively]. There was no significant difference between grade 1,11 and III also between stage Ta, T1 and T2 and stage T3 and T4 bladder cancer patients regarding LSA and TSA, but there was a significant difference between these grades and stages regarding urinary TSA / Cr. ratio [20.1 +/- 16.1. 40.6 +/- 14.4 and 47.8 +/- 11.9 up / mg creatinine in grade I, II and III respectively and 32.1 +/- 12.1. 46.4 +/- 15.1 ug/mg creatinine in stage Ta. T1 and T2 and stage T3 and T4 respectively]. These findings suggest that TSA and LSA can't be used for grading and staging of bladder cancer patients. but urinary TSA / Cr. ratio can be used for grading and staging of these patients. On comparison of supeificial bladder cancer patients before and after treatment regarding the studied parameters, we found marked drop of urinary TSA/Cr. ratio in post-treatment patients [36.2 +/- 15.1 ug/mg creatinine before treatment versus 17.5 +/- 5.3 ug/mg creatinine after treatment] in contrary with serum TSA and LSA. We conclude that: urine can be used as easily available physiologic fluid for evaluation of TSA / Cr. ratio by an easy, inexpensive, photometeric method as a marker for bladder cancer for grading, staging and follow-up of treatment in patients with bladder cancer