Serum alpha-1-antitrypsin and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin after surgical treatment and during postoperative clinical course of human gastric cancer.

The usefulness of alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (A1AChy) in monitoring the adequacy of surgical treatment in patients with gastric cancer was studied. In 32 patients A1AT and A1AChy serum levels were studied before and after radical or palliative surgery at regular intervals during a 3-50-month follow-up. After palliative surgery, A1AT and A1AChy concentrations were significantly higher than in patients treated radically who showed a decreasing tendency of both antiproteases. In patients with progressive disease after surgery an increase of both antiproteases was observed. A1AT and A1AChy levels in the remission group tended to decrease but the values did not normalize as compared to healthy subjects. It was suggested that the increasing levels of A1AT and A1AChy during chemotherapy after radical surgery for gastric cancer may point to the progress of the disease.