Mitochondrial creatine kinase as a tumor-associated marker.

Sera from 167 patients with malignant tumor were examined with regard to mitochondrial creatine kinase (ATP: creatine N-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.3.2, CK). The CK (CKm) was detected in 66 cases (40%), in 42 of 96 men and in 24 of 71 women. Seventeen patients had hepatic carcinomas and 14 gastric carcinoma. CKm was also present in sera from patients with malignancy of the lung, the mammary gland etc. In the CKm positive group, about 85% had metastatic and/or infiltrating malignancy, and about 90% were undergoing chemotherapy. The figures resembled those in the CKm negative group. Mortality rates in the CKm positive group were 1.7 times higher than in the CKm negative group. CKm may be a marker of some biological factors leading to and/or resulting from a poor prognosis and not simply of primary or metastatic tumors. Most of the total serum CK activities in the CKm positive group were within normal limits. CKm activities in the gastric carcinoma group were higher than those in other groups, particularly in comparison to the liver carcinoma group.