Plasma glutamate levels, lymphocyte reactivity and death rate in patients with bronchial carcinoma (original) (raw)

Summary

Elevated glutamate concentrations are commonly observed in patients with advanced carcinoma, and glutamate was recently found to inhibit the membrane transport of cystine and to impair the function of macrophages and lymphocytes in vitro. We therefore investigated the possibility that elevated plasma glutamate levels may be quantitatively correlated with reduced lymphocyte reactivity and an impaired host response to the tumor. Here we report the results of a study on patients with bronchial carcinoma, which show that patients with plasma glutamate levels above 120 μ_M_ have a lower lymphocyte response to mitogens and a substantially higher death rate than those with glutamate levels below 120 μ_M_. This correlation does not prove a causal role of glutamate, but it confirms predictions from the in vitro laboratory data.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Institute of Immunology and Genetics, The German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-6900, Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany
   H. -P. Eck & W. Dröge
2. Hospital for Thorax Diseases, D-6900, Heidelberg-Rohrbach, Federal Republic of Germany
   P. Drings

Authors

1. H. -P. Eck
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2. P. Drings
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3. W. Dröge
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Eck, H.P., Drings, P. & Dröge, W. Plasma glutamate levels, lymphocyte reactivity and death rate in patients with bronchial carcinoma.J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 115, 571–574 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391360

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• Received: 23 June 1989
• Accepted: 17 August 1989
• Issue Date: November 1989
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391360

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