Clinical & Medical Biochemistry

Abstract

Serotonin as a Marker to the Response of Patients with Advanced Stages of Cancer during Treatment with Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy

Rasha Hasan Jasim and Noor Sabah Matlab

Serotonin is synthesized by conversion L-tryptophan into 5-hydroxytryptamine in the body by using two catalyze factors are tryptophan hydroxylase and 5-hydroxytryptophan decarboxylase, it exhibits a growth stimulatory effect on several types of carcinoma, carcinoid and other tumor cells. In contrast, few data are available on serotonin involvement in cancer cell migration and metastatic processes. Serum serotonin level was found to be suitable for prognosis evaluation of urothelial carcinoma in the urinary bladder, adenocarcinoma of the prostate and renal cell carcinoma. Subjects: 201 patients with malignant tumors, 74 patients with different benign tumors and 83 healthy individuals were enrolled in the present study. Results: Outresults show a significant increase (p=0.011 and 0.043) of serum serotonin levels in malignant tumors group when compared with those of benign tumors (as a pathological controls) group, and healthy individuals groups; respectively. No such results were shown when the two control (benign tumors and healthy individuals) groups were compared together. Conclusion: Increase of serotonin could be related to activation of the serotonergic receptors sensitivity.