Changes in the content of aminonitrogen and the activity of aminotransferases in saliva in lymphomas

Abstract

Background. The relevance of studying changes in the activity of metabolic enzymes in saliva in lymphomas lies in the non-invasive method of research, the search for new ways in the diagnosis of oncology to detect the disease in the early stages, as well as to obtain a complete picture of the course of the pathological process. The activity of certain biochemical enzymes is significantly higher in saliva than in blood serum. In addition, saliva is a less hazardous environment for laboratory testing than blood, which reduces the risk of infection for medical personnel. Objective. The aim of this work was to search for biochemical markers in saliva in Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, the value of which was statistically significantly different from the values of the same markers among healthy subjects included in the control group. Design and methods. In the case-control study, volunteers were divided into 2 groups: the main group, with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma (53 people) or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (82 people) and the control group (135 people), apparently healthy individuals. Inclusion in groups occurred in parallel. All participants underwent a biochemical study of saliva to determine the content of amine nitrogen, the activity of enzymes (AlAT, AsAT, GGT, alkaline phosphatase). The patients of the main group were recruited on the basis of the Clinical Oncological Dispensary (Omsk, Russian Federation). Results. A significant increase in amino nitrogen (p < 0,0084), ALT (p < 0,0205), AST (p < 0,0047), GGT (p<0,0291) was found in the group of patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, compared with subjects from the control group. Conclusion. A preliminary hypothesis was put forward that aminotransferases such as ALT, AST and GGT can be used not only as indicators of liver damage. A change in the activity of amine transferases with a simultaneous increase in the activity of amino nitrogen may reflect a pronounced redistribution of nitrogen in the body for the synthesis of new non-essential amino acids that are necessary for neoplastic cells as structural components for their growth and proliferation. This work also confirms that saliva is an informative diagnostic liquid that can be used in the routine practice of a clinician.