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The activities of serum sialyltransferase were determined in patients with brain tumors. Blood samples from normal volunteers were used as controls. Serum specimens were obtained from patients with brain tumors both before and after operations. The preoperative serum sialyltransferase activities of the brain metastasis group showed significant increase, but the enzyme levels decreased after removal of the tumor. The serum sialyltransferase activities in the glioma group and the neurilemoma group increased significantly after operation, but no significant difference was found between the preoperative means of these two groups and that of the control. Surgical treatment produced significant differences between the preoperative and the postoperative serum sialyltransferase activities in the brain metastasis and the glioma and neurilemoma groups. Alterations of this enzyme in the blood of patients with brain tumors and its possible clinical applications are discussed.

Serum sialyl tranferase activity (STA) and protein bound carbohydrate were measured in hypercalcemic patients with surgically documented hyperparathyroidism (n = 15) or with cancer without skeletal metastases (n = 10). Precipitable protein-bound sialic acid and hexosamine, but not neutral hexoses or fucose were significantly (P less than 0.025) increased 40% and 21% respectively, in the perchlorate treated sera of cancer patients. Measurements of some specific serum glycoproteins by radial immunodiffusion assay were also different (P less than 0.05). Mean seromucoid protein was almost twice as great in the group with cancer (P less than 0.005), but four of these values overlapped those from the patients with hyperparathyroidism. The mean STA was 21.1 (range, 9.0-46.8) activity units in the patients with the cancer and 9.2 (range 1.0-17.8) in the patients with hyperparathyroidism (P less than 0.005). Six of the patients with cancer had values above the upper limit of the group with hyperparathyroidism. A discriminant function generated from these data correctly classified all the patients with hyperparathyroidism and 70% of those with cancer. Measurements of seromucoid and STA deserve further consideration as a way to discriminate some cases of hypercalcemia.

A patient is described who presented at an early age with failure to thrive and vomiting, and had a gross excretion of formimino glutamic acid. She had normal concentration of serum folate and vitamin B12, and no haematological abnormalities, and is not mentally retarded. The Michaelis constant for erythrocyte formimino glutamate transferase was in the normal range, but the enzyme behaves differently from that from reference subjects with respect to inhibitors and activators.

Simultaneous administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and tamoxifen markedly elevated the serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferase activities in 4 out of 30 patients with endometrial or ovarian carcinoma; and also slightly increased the activities of gamma-glutamyl transferase in 2 of the patients. These pathological changes spontaneously returned to normal in 1 patient, and after the cessation of tamoxifen or tamoxifen plus MPA treatment in 3 patients. This kind of hepatic impairment was thought to be caused by reversible damage of liver cells possibly associated with slight intrahepatic cholestasis. It is suggested that special attention be paid to liver function during simultaneous MPA and tamoxifen administration; in case of adverse liver reaction during the combined treatment, a formula of sequential administration of the drugs could be implemented.

A family in which five members has a weak B variant and one member had a normal A and weak B reaction is reported. It appears that these phenotypes arise by the inheritance of a variant allele of the ABO locus. Their cells react weakly when added to anti-B sera, and they have normal anti-A activity and an absence of anti-B in their sera. Additionally, all of the members tested had increased levels of cellular H substance and all of the affected secretor members of the family secreted normal amounts of both B and H substance. Transferase activity of the sera of these individuals confirmed the presence of the B-gene specific transferase.

The chimaera is female and has two children. Her blood contains 99% group O, type AcP:BA, Pep-A:8-2 and 1% group A2B, type AcP:RA, Pep-A:1 red cells. H-, A- and B-transferase activities were demonstrated in her serum. The level of the H enzyme activity is low but is at the lower end of the normal range for group O persons. The levels of the A and B enzymes are also low but are higher than expected in a person with 1% A2B red cells in the blood. The levels of the A and B enzymes indicate that tissues other than the chimaera's haemopoietic tissue carry her genetically A2B cell line and are contributing the corresponding transferases to her plasma. Gross patchy skin pigmentation is present on the upper part of her body. The chimaera has evidently inherited two dissimilar germ nuclei from each parent.

Cachexia is rare in nude mice bearing human malignant tumors even when the transplanted tumors become as large as the body size of the host. In our series on heterotransplantation of a variety of human malignant tumors into nude mice, a malignant melanoma (SEKI) was found to induce severe body weight loss in the host at the early stage of transplantation. There was no electrolyte disturbance, hyper- or hypoadrenocorticism, hyperthyroidism, or destruction of cells of vital organs to account for the weight loss. Moreover, no evidence was obtained for concomitant infection with bacteria, Mycoplasma or fungi. These cachectic mice revealed remarkably increased levels of serum sialyltransferase and decreased liver catalase activity. The removal of tumor tissues from these mice resulted in prompt recovery of body weight, serum sialyltransferase, and liver catalase activity within 1 to 2 weeks. On the basis of the results obtained, the SEKI melanoma was thought to have produced a pathophysiological state in host nude mice which was very similar to that of cachexia in cancer patients. Nude mice bearing transplants of SEKI melanoma may provide a useful system for the study of cancer cachexia in humans.

Experimental studies in mice and in rats showed the good tolerance of a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, flunoxaprofen, by normal and CCl4 damaged liver. The activity of an enzyme-inducing drug, such as phenobarbital, showed a greater increase after pretreatment with indomethacin than with flunoxaprofen or benoxaprofen. High doses of benoxaprofen and indomethacin significantly decreased bromosulphonphthalein excretion in rats with normal or CCl4 damaged liver; the effect was not observed with flunoxaprofen administered at the same dose as benoxaprofen. Moreover, benoxaprofen and indomethacin but not flunoxaprofen induced a significant increase of some serum liver enzymes in CCl4 poisoned rats.

Serum-sialyltransferase activity was measured in serum samples of 116 patients with malignant tumors of various origins and different clinical stages using asialo-fetuin as the acceptor and cytidine-5'-mono-phospho[14C]sialic acid as the donor. Only patients with metastatic tumors had significantly elevated serum-sialyltransferase levels. Increased enzyme activity was also associated with rheumatoid arthritis and with acute hepatitis, whereas no significant alteration of enzyme activity was observed in cystic fibrosis patients. In a group of tumor patients, various additional tumor markers were determined (carcinoembryonic antigen, alkaline phosphatase: Regan isoenzyme, creatinekinase: BB-isoenzyme, lactatedehydrogenase: isoenzyme 5) and the data compared to the clinical diagnoses. The sensitivity and specificity of serum-sialyltransferase as a tumor marker is assessed.

Platelet sialyltransferase activity was determined in four patients with primary platelet release disorder. Basal enzyme activity was significantly reduced in all. Moreover, enzyme activity in response to stimulation by collagen or sodium arachidonate was also reduced. Platelet total and surface sialic-acid content was normal. The results indicate that defective membrane sialytransferase may be involved in the pathogenesis of primary platelet release disorder.

An enzyme that catalyzes a post-transcriptional modification of tRNA, resulting in replacement of a base from tRNA by guanine, has been purified 2600-fold from rabbit erythrocyte cytosol. The purest preparation migrates as a single protein band on polycrylamide gel electrophoresis and the enzymatic activity co-electrophoreses with this protein. The native enzyme has a molecular weight of 104,000 and is dissociated into two subunits of Mr= 60,000 and 43,000. The Km for guanine is 1.5 x 10(-7) M and for a pure guanine-accepting tRNA is 3.3 x 10(-9) M. The amino acid composition of the pure enzyme has been determined. To our knowledge this is the first study in which the molecular characteristics of a pure enzyme capable of modifying an internal position in tRNA has been reported.

Exogenous asialo-glycoproteins and endogenous acceptors are both sialylated by incubating cytidine 5'-monophosphate N-[14C]acetylneuraminic acid (CMP [14C]NeuAc) with a lysate of human platelets but their respective incorporation levels vary with the divalent cation concentration. P-Nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactoside has also been demonstrated to be an acceptor of sialyl residues, and two different sialyl derivatives are synthesized according to the concentration of divalent cations. P-Nitrophenyl-beta-D-[6-3H]galactoside has been prepared by reduction with tritiated borohydride of the compound previously oxidized by galactose oxidase. Using this labelled p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactoside as acceptor and unlabelled CMP-NeuAc as donor, the two sialyl derivatives have been identified by methylation analysis as alpha-sialosyl-(2-3)-p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactoside and alpha-sialosyl-(2-6)-p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactoside. In addition to their different responses to divalent cation requirements, the sialyltransferase activities responsible for the synthesis of the two sialylgalactoside isomers have been clearly distinguished by their temperature and pH optimal values. They also exhibit different susceptibilities to dithioerythritol and different stabilities. These results demonstrate the presence in human platelets of two sialyltransferases: a CMP-NeuAc: galactoside (alpha 2-3)-sialyltransferase and a CMP-NeuAc: galactoside (alpha 2-6)-sialyltransferase.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with a single ip injection of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), phenanthrene, nitrated products of phenanthrene, pyrene, or nitrated products of pyrene. Phenanthrene, pyrene and their nitrated products were dissolved in DMSO. Phenanthrene produced a significant elevation of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels relative to DMSO-injected rats 24 hr after injection. Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) levels were significantly increased for groups treated with phenanthrene when compared with the DMSO group 72 hr after injection. Nitrated products of phenanthrene produced a significant elevation of serum AST, ALT, sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), and GGTP levels when compared with groups treated with DMSO and phenanthrene 24 hr after injection. Four of six rats in the nitrated phenanthrene treatment group died between 48 and 72 hr after the injection. Injection of pyrene caused no significant increases in serum enzyme activities. Significant changes in the serum AST, SDH and LDH levels were observed with the nitrated products of pyrene at 24 hr. Only SDH levels were significantly different when pyrene and its nitrated products were compared. No significant differences were detected at 72 hr with the nitrated products of pyrene. As supported by serum chemistry, this study suggests that the products of the reaction of NO2 with two model polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are hepatotoxic. Both pyrene and phenanthrene form nitrated products that are more toxic than the parent PAH, but the nitrated products of phenanthrene appear to be more toxic than the nitration products of pyrene.

Clinical evaluation of serum sialyl transferase as a diagnostic tool in malignant disease has shown that there is a strong correlation between enzyme activity and extent of tumor tissue. Thus, patients with large tumor masses show higher enzyme activity than patients with small tumors or in remission. Furthermore, the surgical removal of tumor tissue results in a decrease of enzyme activity to the normal range. The values remain low until metastases recur; this is connected with a new increase in enzyme activity. It has also been shown that successful chemotherapy corresponding to tumor reduction is reflected in lower values. We are thus led to believe that sialyl transferase is a relevant diagnostic blood parameter in the follow-up of cancer patients.

Serum sialyltransferases and fucosyltransferases measured by an affinity adsorbent technique were studied in 27 exactly defined patients with malignant pulmonary diseases. Fourteen patients with benign pulmonary diseases and 56 with benign surgical diseases were used as controls. Enzyme activities were expressed as amounts of labeled precursor molecules incorporated into endogenous acceptors in counts per minute (cpm). The mean sialyltransferase activity was 583 cpm in bronchial carcinoma, 485 cpm in benign pulmonary disease and 428 cpm in benign surgical disease. The only statistically significant difference was between bronchial carcinoma and benign surgical disease. The mean fucosyltransferase activity was 813 cpm in bronchial carcinoma, 436 cpm in benign pulmonary disease and 255 cpm in benign surgical disease. All the differences were statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences between the WHO histologic bronchial carcinoma groups. The correlation between sialyltransferase and fucosyltransferase activity in bronchial carcinoma was statistically significant (r = 0.59). In squamous cell carcinoma (N = 6), it was strongly significant (r = 0.96) and there was a significant correlation also in small cell carcinoma (N = 10; r = 0.79) but not in adenocarcinoma (N = 9; r = 0.30) and benign pulmonary disease (N = 14; r = 0.44). It is suggested that serum sialyltransferases and fucosyl transferases would not be decisive for diagnosis when used alone in bronchial carcinoma, but could be included in a screening test battery.

The activities of fucosyltransferase, galactosyltransferase, and sialyltransferase were estimated in ultracentrifuged seminal plasma samples from normospermic and oligospermic men. There was no significant difference with regard to these activities between the two groups. Hence, fucosyltransferase activity was high in both normospermic (mean value: 190.2 nmol/l) and oligospermic men (mean value: 157.2 nmol/l) and exceeded that of blood plasma (mean value: 7.6 nmol/l) by 20-25 times. On the contrary, the activity ratio between seminal plasma and blood plasma of galactosyltransferase and sialyltransferase was low and fairly close to 1. A significant correlation was noted between seminal plasma galactosyltransferase activity and semen volume only in normospermic men. Significant inverse correlations in oligospermic men were observed between seminal plasma sialyltransferase activity and sperm concentration (and total sperm count) as well as between galactosyltransferase and fucosyltransferase activities.

Studies of serine hydroxymethyltransferase activity in extracts of leukocytes from normal and leukemic subjects showed that the enzyme is present in lymphocytes and granulocytes but that activity is higher in lymphocytes. It is also higher than normal in lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and to a lesser extent in the leukocytes of patients with acute myelocytic leukemia and acute lymphocytic leukemia. A striking increase in activity occurs in lymphocytes stimulated by phytohemagglutinin to divide in culture. Enzyme activity rises severalfold before cell number increases. Stimulated lymphocytes take up [3-14C]serine from the medium and incorporate its radioactivity into DNA, RNA, and other cell fractions. The rate of incorporation increases sharply before the rise in cell number. Thus, serine hydroxymethyltransferase activity and serine incorporation in vivo show a temporal correlation in stimulated lymphocytes. Inhibitors of DNA synthesis (e.g., fluorodeoxyuridine or high concentrations of adenosine or thymidine) block incorporation of serine radioactivity into DNA and other cell fractions. The results suggest that serine hydroxymethyltransferase activity and cellular uptake of serine have a significant role in proliferating cells.

Aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and alkaline phosphatase activities in the blood serum of women taking the oral contraceptive preparation Microgynon through extended periods were raised; the activity of cholinesterase was simultaneously reduced. In rats liver homogenates ethynylestradiol, one of the active components of Microgynon, acted as an inducer of gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase while leaving aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase unaffected, but reduced the level of cholinesterase. Norgestrel, the other active component of the preparation, suppressed the biosynthesis of gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase while leaving aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and cholinesterase levels unaffected. A mixture of ethynylestradiol plus norgestrel in the mass proportion occurring in Microgynon produced the same effects upon gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase as ethynylestradiol alone. Estradiol, the parent hormone of ethynylestradiol, lacked the inducing capability of the latter while ethynylpropargyl chloride induced gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase so it was concluded the inducing effect of ethynylestradiol must be ascribed to the ethynyl radical. Progesterone, the parent of norgestrel, shared the latter's suppressive activity for gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase biosynthesis, and behaved like its derivative towards the other enzymes.

Our previous studies have shown that in psychotics, the plasma serine level is abnormally high and that plasma serine hydroxymethyltransferase (which cleaves serine to glycine) activity is abnormally low as compared with that in nonpsychotic subjects. In this study, psychotic and nonpsychotic subjects ingested a large bolus of L-serine (4 mM/kg) at breakfast and blood was drawn before breakfast, 2 hr, 4 hr, and 6 hr after serine ingestion. Baseline serine and SHMT activity differentiated between psychotics and nonpsychotics with high degrees of significance (p less than 0.0001) and p less than 0.01, respectively). Plasma serine levels 2 hr after serine ingestion were significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in nonpsychotics as compared with psychotics. Elimination of serine in psychotics was bimodal and was significantly different from that of nonpsychotics (p less than 0.0079, Moses test). These findings provide additional evidence for abnormal serine metabolism in psychotic patients.

Data for the distribution of alleles controlling two blood group systems and secretor status, for hemoglobin types, five serum protein groups and 15 red cell enzyme systems has been obtained. Eleven of the systems showed polymorphic variation and these systems have been used to calculate genetic distances using Morton's Kinship measure. No systematic relationship between genetic distance and geographic location of linguistic affiliation is apparent. There is, however, an apparent cline of decreasing frequency of PGDc from east to west and also significant differences in the frequency of G6PD deficiency corresponding to variation in the ecology of the region. Genetic distance comparisons with other selected populations reveal that the Turkic and Turkoman speaking peoples in the Caspian area cluster with the Kurds, Greeks and Iranis. The Persian speakers are genetically remote from these populations; they are, however, close to the Parsis who migrated from Iran to India at the end of the Seventh Century A.D. Several unusual genetic variants were detected, including a novel MDH phenotype, a superoxide dismutase phenotype identical with the Scandinavian type, and rare forms of LDH, PGM locus 2, ceruloplasmin, diaphorase, peptidases and PHI.

In incubations containing mixtures of lipoproteins isolated either from humans or from rats, the addition of human lipoproteins-free serum (the dialysed 1.25 g/ml infranatant solution) was more than five times more effective than that of the rat in promoting the transfer of esterified [3H]cholesterol from high density lipoproteins to very low density lipoproteins, regardless of the species origin of the lipoproteins, implying the existence of an esterified cholesterol transferring factor of much greater activity in human than in rat serum.

The activity of a specific glycosyl transferase, namely, sialyl transferase was determined in a sera of patients with malignant disease. Increased serum sialyl transferase activity was observed in a high percentage of examined cases. The serum enzyme activity was also correlated to the clinical state of the patients and was found to depend on the tumor size. The enzyme activity decreased following surgical removal of the tumor mass and increased an appearance of metastases. These findings may be the basis for possible clinical application in the follow-up of patients with malignant disease, because the diagnostic value of serum sialyl transferase determination is greater than that of other serum analyses.

Fish-eye disease is a familial condition characterized by corneal opacities and dyslipoproteinaemia with, i.a., pronounced enrichment of plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL) with triglycerides. Cholesterol ester and triglyceride transferase activities in lipoprotein-free plasma have been measured in two patients with fish-eye disease and found to be normal. This indicates that a deficiency of plasma lipid transfer protein is not involved in the abnormal composition of LDL in fish-eye disease.

Serum levels of sialyltransferase and sialic acid were measured in patients with malignant melanomas (n = 49), healthy control persons (n = 20), and patients with non-malignant skin disorders (n = 30). Both parameters were found to be higher in malignant melanoma patients than in healthy control persons, but they were not significantly higher in melanoma patients than in patients with benign skin disorders, unless widespread dissemination of metastases had occurred. The highest values were measured in patients with liver and lung metastases. No general correlation was found between sialyltransferase activities and sialic acid concentrations. Sialic acid concentrations seem to be a better index for tumor spreading than sialyltransferase activities. In early stages of the disease, shedding from tumor cells is not the major source of elevated serum levels of sialyltransferase and sialic acid, respectively.

Two sialyltransferases (EC 2.4.99.-) are extracted with Triton X-100 from human platelets and characterized with asialo 3H-labelled alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, an N-glycosylprotein. Methylation analysis of their specificities indicates that the enzymes transfer selectively sialic acid in a 3 or 6 position to oligosaccharides possessing Gal(beta 1-4)GlcNAc structure. The sialyl alpha 2-3 transferase was separated from the sialyl alpha 2-6 transferase by Ultrogel AcA34 column chromatography. Through affinity chromatography on CDPethanolamine-Sepharose, the two sialyltransferases are partly purified (5- and 20-fold enrichment of their specific activity, respectively, for sialyl alpha 2-3 transferase and alpha 2-6 transferase) and appear to be structurally heterogeneous.

Total plasma sialyltransferase (ST) activity was elevated in patients with colonic adenocarcinoma; the incidence of abnormal values ranged from 33% in patients with no evidence of metastases (T2N0M0) to 86% in patients with advanced metastatic disease (T2-5N1M1). Isoenzyme analysis revealed that normal serum contains a major band (ST2) probably derived from red cells, and a minor band (ST1) thought to be derived from platelets. An additional band, designated STN, intermediate in mobility between the two other bands, was found in patients with colonic adenocarcinoma, ranging in incidence from 50% to 86% in patients free of metastases and those with widespread metastases. Histological studies suggested that this abnormal isoenzyme was more likely to occur in the serum of patients whose tumor was well differentiated.

Sialyltransferase activity of bovine serum with the acceptor asialofetuin exhibits a pH optimum at 6.0-6.5, no divalent cation dependence, and a Km for CMP-sialic acid of 0.05 mM. Although a 2-fold increase in sialyltransferase activity with the acceptor asialofetuin is observed in serum samples from 2-day-old vs 20-day-old calves, the relative activity towards other glycoprotein acceptors is not different between the groups. With the acceptor lactose, the major product (greater than 95%) for all samples is 3'-sialyllactose, suggesting that the elevated levels of sialyltransferase in 2-day-old calves are due to Gal-R (alpha 2-3) sialyltransferase.

The effects of two volatile anaesthetics on hepatic function are compared in 80 patients in hepato-biliary surgery. 40 patients were anaesthetized either with enflurane or halothane. This study is based on the variations of blood levels of gamma GT, bilirubin, SGOT SGPT, alkaline phosphatase, L.D.H. Samples were taken the day prior to the operation, one, two and five days afterwards. The results show an increase in the levels of BD, SGPT, LDH no 5, less important with enflurane than with halothane, and mainly in patients with preoperative hepatic abnormalities. Enflurane appears to be preferable in such cases.

Copper, ceruloplasmin and sialyltransferase activity were measured in serum of 25 patients with lymphoreticular malignancies, in an attempt to study the sialyltransferase activity and correlation if any with the activity of the disease and ceruloplasmin. All 3 parameters were elevated in active disease but no definite correlation between sialyltransferase activity and copper or ceruloplasmin could be found. We conclude that plasma sialyltransferase activity is increased in lymphomas.

Thirteen brain dysfunctional patients with psychosis were compared to 11 brain dysfunctional patients without psychosis by EEG, CT scan and neuropsychological test abnormalities, and abnormalities in serine metabolism. None of the tests of conventional measures of brain pathology and pathophysiology significantly differentiated between the psychotic and nonpsychotic patients; only the last measure which has previously been shown to be a biochemical vulnerability factor for psychosis, was significantly different in the two groups. This study suggests that the brain pathology and pathophysiology per se are not significant factors that make such patients psychotic, but these patients are vulnerable to psychosis because of a biochemical abnormality.

Rabbit erythrocytes were separated by centrifugation on a discontinuous Percoll gradient into fractions of progressively increasing cell age to measure the in vivo decline in catalytic activity of eleven enzymes during the erythrocyte life span. Erythrocyte enzymes decline exponentially at different rates. The maximal and minimal catalytic activities (erythrocyte catalytic activity at the beginning and at the end of the erythrocyte life span), the intracellular half-life of enzymes and the daily loss of catalytic activity of total body erythrocytes were estimated.

Adult female dogs or pony mares were subjected to a nonlethal dose of CCl4 (0.5 ml/kg of body weight). Amounts of several plasma enzymes thought to be indicative of hepatic disease were monitored. Plasma enzymes alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), arginase, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and iditol dehydrogenase (ID), as well as total plasma bilirubin, were determined in these animals before and after the administration of the CCl4. In the dog, GGT was not significantly increased, whereas ALP values were increased during days 1 to 6. In the pony, GGT was significantly increased during the entire course of the study, whereas ALP exhibited only small, transient (though significant) increases. Responses of ID, AST, and ALP were unremarkable when compared between the pony and the dog. Total bilirubin was significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) increased from days 1 to 4 (pony) or days 5 to 8 (dog) after the CCl4 dose, but subsequently returned to or decreased below base-line values. Animals did not have evidence of icterus at any time. Seemingly, the dog and the pony are distinct clinical entities, and only the appropriate laboratory tests for each species should be used to provide information for the clinicopathologic evaluation of hepatic disease.

Apparently identical twin boys are both XX/XY and have two populations, A1 and B, of cells in their peripheral blood. Chimerism in somatic tissue outside the blood cells can be demonstrated in only one of the twins. From analysis of chromosomes and many gene markers the mechanism of origin of the unusual twins remains unclear.

76 adult camel (30 males and 46 females) sera were surveyed for the normal activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine phospho-kinase (CPK), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The values recorded for the above enzymes were compared to other data in the literature.

A considerably simplified assay for recording sialyl- and fucosyltransferase in human serum is presented. Serum samples incubated with labeled nucleotide-sugar and glycosylated endogenous acceptor molecules were adsorbed to Con A Sepharose and quantitated by scintillation counting. The results correlated with those of a much more time consuming acid precipition method, and displayed a higher diagnostic sensitivity due to the improved specificity of the method and the combined recording of the two activities. A correlation between serum sialyl- and fucosyltransferase activities as well as quantitative agreement between the amount of incorporated sialic acid and fucose indicated that rhe endogenous acceptor molecules were rate-limiting for transfer and may themselves have diagnostic potential.

Sialyltransferase activity was estimated in serum samples of patients with cancer and controls using immobilized asialo-fetuin as the acceptor and cytidine-5'-monophospho [14C] sialic acid as the donor. The data suggest that increased enzyme activity can be found in more than 80% of the samples from patients with malignant diseases.