The role of serine and glutamine in the metabolism of malignant bone tumors and their significance in the diagnosis and prognosis of bone tumors.

Some malignant tumors of soft tissues that metastasize to bones are characterized by an insignificant increase in the levels of certain amino acids in the serum of the host. Primary malignant bone tumors, on the other hand, tend to increase significantly the concentration of amino acids in the host serum. We found that malignant transformation of bones, cartilage, and connective tissue induced changes in the metabolism of the patients which led to a significant elevation of several amino acids in their serum. Only alanine and cysteine showed a decreased level in the sera of patients with bone tumors. A significant increase in the concentration of amino acids in the sera of patients with bone tumors, as compared to control subjects, was found in serine, glutamine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, arginine, and histidine (p less than 0.001). The elevated levels of serine and glutamine suggest their possible use in diagnostics, differential diagnostics, and in the study of therapeutic effects in these malignancies.

Serum amylase and isoamylases in malignant bone tumors.

In 26 hosts of malignant bone tumors the serum amylase activities have been studied. The mean value of total serum amylase was found to be slightly elevated in the sera of patients with malignant bone tumors compared to that found in sera of blood donors. The P:S ratio of isoenzymes was found significantly (p greater than 0.01) shifted towards the S type in sera of the hosts of malignant bone tumors. The levels of the S type of isoenzymes were found to be significantly higher also in comparison to the mean values of these isoenzymes found in the sera of blood donors. Assay of the homogenate of the extirpated tissue of an osteogenic sarcoma clearly showed the amylase activity to exceed that found in patients' sera. This elevation of the total activity was found to be mainly due to the increased production of the S type of isoenzyme in the malignant tissue. The usefulness of these findings for diagnosis and prognosis purposes in bone malignancy is discussed in this paper.

[Relation between metabolic amino acid defect and familial occurring epilepsy]. / Die Beziehung zwischen dem metabolischen Aminosäurendefekt und der familiär vorkommenden Epilepsie.

Within the framework of amino-aciduria research on familial epilepsy the authors describe the clinical picture, E. E. G., and biochemical urine findings for six members of one family. Three brothers and sisters suffered from oligophrenia and epileptic fits. The influence of therapy was also followed in the youngest patient. The authors stress the need for examining the urine for amino-aciduria in some cases of genuine epilepsy especially of a familial character. What is also emphasized is the necessity of employing a precise biochemical method of examination. The high-voltage electrophoresis in combination with paper chromatography was used. It was by using this particular method that the authors were able to observe variations in the elimination through urine of both free and peptide-bound amino acids in the parents as well as in three diseased children.