Evaluation of Serum Total Sialic Acid and Lipid Associated Sialic Acid as a Tumour Marker

The present study was done to assess the levels of total sialic acid & lipid associated sialicAcid. Lactate dehydrogenase and total proteins in sera of patients with various malignant diseases and compared with sera of non malignant diseases, benign tumors & controls. Serum total sialic acid, LASA & LDH values are significantly increased in malignancies when compared to the controls (P<0.001), indicating altered metabolism of tumour cell surface glycoprotein & sialoglycolipids and there is decrease of total proteins in malignancies especially Gastro intestinal tract malignancies (P<0.001). We had followed up 23 patients suffering from different malignancies and were received treatment. All these patients showed clinical improvement gradually at an end of 20 days followed up period. The TSA, LASA, & LDH significantly decreased (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.05) respectively. So this study suggests sialic acid as a tumour marker which shows good diagnostic potential.