Creatine kinase isozymes in human tumors

Abstract

The creatine kinase content and isozyme distribtution in 33 human tumors carried in athymic mice has been determined. All of the tumors except two melanomas contained significant amounts of the BB isozyme, the mammalian fetal type enzyme, but very little of the MM isozyme. Many of the tumors of diverse origin contained a significant amount of the mitochondrial isozyme. Some of the serum from mice carrying these tumors showed elevated levels of either BB or mitochondrial creatine kinase, however, this does not seem to be specifically associated with any single type of tumor.