Unspecific metabolic blood parameters as used in clinical routine may differentiate malignant from benign cerebral tumors

Cancer Lett. 1995 Aug 16;95(1-2):147-52. doi: 10.1016/0304-3835(95)03880-6.

Abstract

The investigation of rather insensitive metabolic parameters (protein, fibrinogen, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood glucose) reveals significant differences between tumor-bearing and tumor-free patients as well as benign and malignant neoplasms. Whereas metastases and glioblastomas (GBM) show significantly elevated BUN levels (21.9 +/- 1.7; 8 +/- 2.2 mg/dl) compared to benign tumors (meningioma WHO I, astrocytoma I, II) (16 +/- 0.9 mg/dl) and tumor-free matched controls (e.g. 13.9 +/- 1.4 mg/dl) only metastases depict higher glucose (141.7 +/- 11mg/dl) counts. Fibrinogen, significantly elevated in malignancy (395 +/- 25.2; 397.2 +/- 25.9 mg/dl) is without difference between meningioma, astrocytoma (253.2 +/- 16.6; 271.5 +/- 16.5 mg/dl) and controls (e.g. 270.1 +/- 10.8 mg/dl). Correlating BUN with total protein reveals a metabolic mismatch to nearly all tumor patients, regardless of dignity, as compared to tumor-free patients. Neuroendocrinoimmunological changes are the most likely reason for these overt as well as occult findings, making investigation of more sensitive metabolic parameters a rewarding task.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Astrocytoma / blood
  • Astrocytoma / diagnosis
  • Astrocytoma / metabolism
  • Blood Urea Nitrogen
  • Brain Neoplasms / blood
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Meningioma / blood
  • Meningioma / diagnosis
  • Meningioma / metabolism
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Retrospective Studies