Correlation of altered blood albumin characteristics and lymphocyte populations to tumor stage in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

The fluorescent probe ABM was used to characterize lymphocyte membranes and blood plasma albumin from cancer patients suffering from colorectal cancer or gastric cancers at Stages II-IV. The aim of these studies was to evaluate the potential utility of measures of ABM fluorescence intensity as a standard tool in the analyses of host immune status and for a clinical interpretation of alterations in albumin per se and lymphocyte functional activity in cancer patients. The fluorescence intensity of ABM in the blood plasma decreased from control values and showed specific differences in each of the differing patients groups; these changes corresponded to cancer stage. The significant decrease in ABM fluorescence in the plasma could be explained, in part, by a diminished binding capacity of the albumin of these patients. The lymphocyte distribution among the subsets of patients also differed. Interestingly, the ABM fluorescence in the cell suspension and blood plasma was also found to correlate with select immunological parameters (CD4(+):CD8(+) ratios, lymphocyte counts, etc.) in the patients. These results obtained here showed that there was a strong agreement between changes in ABM spectral characteristics and both clinical and pathological estimates of disease (i.e., gastrointestinal cancers) severity. Thus, the use of ABM spectroscopy appears to be another tool that might be of some used by clinicians to monitor the course of certain diseases, such as gastrointestinal cancers.

Fluorescent probe ABM and estimation of immune state in patients with different pathologies (review article).

The fluorescent probe ABM (3-aminobenzanthrone derivative) one of the fluorescent probes synthesized in Riga Technical University proved to be an excellent, independent model for studying cell membranes. In our work we have investigated the possibility of using the fluorescent probe ABM for detection of immune state in patients with different pathologies. There is a strong correlation among all studied ABM spectral parameters, immunological characteristics, clinical and laboratory investigations of the all observed patients groups. The obtained results suggest that ABM spectral parameters in cell suspension reflect the alterations of the cellular mechanisms of immunity. Therefore fluorescent method could be used as preliminary screening test in immune diagnostics instead of more expensive, time consuming methods (subset detection, radioisotope method etc.) used as routine in clinics. Spectral parameters of ABM reflect a wide range of interrelated (interdependent) characteristics of cells (physico-chemical state and microviscosity of membrane, proliferating and lipid metabolic activity of cells, distribution of cells among subsets). The observed change of the studied parameters reflects alterations of the cellular mechanisms of immunity which is a main focus for its application as preliminary screening test in immune diagnostics. The fluorescence based method is sensitive, less expensive and time consuming, technically simple and convenient.

Altered plasma albumin characteristics and lymphocyte populations in gastrointestinal cancer patients: detection using modified fluorescence responses.

The fluorescent probe ABM (an amino derivative of benzanthrone) developed at Riga Technical University (Riga, Latvia) was used to characterize the blood plasma albumin of cancer patients (46 gastrointestinal cancer patients--30 with colorectal cancer in Stages II-IV and 16 with gastric cancer in Stage III) and of healthy controls. The fluorescence intensity of ABM in the blood plasma decreased from the control mean value and showed specific differences in the patients before (i.e., 24 hr pre-) and after (i.e., 10 day post-) they underwent a medically indicated surgical treatment, i.e., a gastric resection or gastroectomy for patients in the gastric cancer group or a colorectal resection for patients in the colorectum cancer group. The significant decrease in the ABM fluorescence in the blood plasma could be explained, in part, by a diminished binding capacity of the albumin of these patients. In fact, before surgery, there was a strong reduction in binding constant (K(a)) value for the probe observed in the plasma samples from these patients as compared with the value obtained with the plasma of the healthy donors. The lymphocyte distribution among the subsets also differed between the groups. Surgical treatment affected several immunological parameters and appeared to elevate the functional status of lymphocytes. Interestingly, the ABM fluorescence in the blood plasma was also seen to correlate with select immunological parameters (CD4+:CD8+ ratios, levels of CD38+ cells, etc.) both before and after the patients' operations. The results in the present study suggest that measures of ABM fluorescence intensity values for plasma albumin and/or especially of lymphocytes (as reflections of their functional activity) might be a useful tool in the evaluation of the immune status of gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Fluorescent probe ABM for screening gastrointestinal patient's immune state.

The fluorescent probe-aminoderivative of benzanthrone, ABM (developed at Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia) was used to characterize the membranes of lymphocytes of cancer patients: 46 patients with gastrointestinal diseases, 13 patients having different primary localizations with massive metastases and intoxication. Patients were divided into three groups: (1) with decreased fluorescence intensity, (2) normal fluorescence intensity, (3) increased fluorescence intensity. The lymphocytes distribution among subsets differed between groups, in correspondence to the level of fluorescence intensity. Surgical treatment affected the main immunological parameters and elevated the functional activity of lymphocytes. In the advanced tumors group, fluorescence intensity correlates with the survival rate. Results suggest that determination of lymphocytes functional activity by ABM can aid evaluation of the immune status in cancer patients.