Abstract
A group of 73 consecutive patients with PC (stage II—IV) and 73 control subjects were exam-ined. Laboratory studies included five polymorphisms of the PONl gene (L55M, Q192R, -108C/T, -126C/T, and-162A/G), PONl arylesterase (PON1-A) and lactonase (PONl-L) activities, as well as some markers of protein metabolism, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress.
In comparison with the control group, no diťťerence in the distribution of the PONl polymorphisms was found in cancer patients, both arylesterase and lactonase activities being signifi-cantly lower (-33,-47 %, respectively, both P < 0.001). There was neither statistically signiheant association of PONl polymorphisms with tumour stages nor with diabetes mellitus connected with PC.
The genotype distribution of L55M and -108C7T differed only in a subgroup of patients presenting clinically relevant malnutrition (x2== 6.50, 6.25, respectively, both P < 0.05). In the PC group, PONl-A and PONl-L activities correlated with Nutritional Risk Index (r = 0.351, 0.409, respectively, both P < 0.01), PONl-L with mid-arm muscle circumťerence (r = 0.328, P < 0.05), and PON1-A and PONl-L with sérum albumin (r - 0.352, 0.391 respectively, both < 0.01).
Our re-sults suggest that PONl plays an important role in PC, especially in cancer-associated malnutrition.