Elevated serum level of glycolipid sulfotransferase in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Activity of glycolipid sulfotransferase (cerebroside sulfotransferase) in serum was elevated in 21 (33%) of 63 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, mean +/- S.E., 349 +/- 32 pmol/ml per h, n = 63, P less than 0.001) compared to healthy subjects (172 +/- 12, n = 85). Ho significant elevation of the sulfotransferase level was observed in liver cirrhosis (219 +/- 28, n = 10) in which many of biochemical HCC markers increase concomitantly. The elevation of sulfotransferase was independent of the production of alpha-fetoprotein and of aminotransferase levels in HCC, providing complementary value for alpha-fetoprotein-negative HCC cases. However, the sulfotransferase levels (234 +/- 21, n = 32, P less than 0.01) in sera from patients with renal cell carcinoma, in whose involved tissues the enzyme was demonstrated to increase markedly, were less than in HCC.