Acetylcholinesterase enzyme among cancer patients a potential diagnostic and prognostic indicator a multicenter case–control study, 2024, Ahmed et al.

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Acetylcholinesterase enzyme among cancer patients a potential diagnostic and prognostic indicator a multicenter case–control study
Ahmed, Gasmelseed Y.; Osman, Ahmed A.; Mukhtar, Ahlam

Acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) activity is impaired by a variety of inhibitors including organophosphorus pesticides, leading to the accumulation of acetylcholine. In this study, we aimed to determine the association between cancer and the blood level of the (AChE).

This is a multicenter hospital-based case–control study conducted in the Radiation and Isotopes Center Khartoum, and Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Biology and Oncology Gezira. One hundred and fifty participants, half of them cancer patients and half cancer free were recruited. All participants were screened for demographic, environmental, occupational, and clinical characteristics. Blood for the (AChE) activity test was drawn from participants in the two groups.

The mean age of the participants was 40.6 ± 14.8 years. Geographical distribution showed the Central Region of Sudan had the highest rate of cancer, followed by North State, Khartoum State, West State, and East State. The most common tumor subtype was breast cancer, followed by leukemia, colon, esophageal, and prostate cancer. Inferential analysis revealed significantly impaired (AChE) activity among cancer patients compared to controls (53.4 ± 20.3% vs. 93.8 ± 8.8, p-value 0.001). There was a significant statistical association between impaired (AChE) activity and cancer.

(AChE) activity might be applied in the future as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target. Further large sample and molecular studies are recommended.

Link | PDF (Nature Scientific Reports) [Open Access]

 

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Apart from its well-established physiological role in the nervous system, the widely distributed expression of acetylcholine receptors AChRs in different human organs suggests its role in other biological processes. Accumulating evidence has revealed that cancer cell processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition are mediated by the overexpression of AChRs in different types of tumors.

The evidence presented herein provides additional support for the proposed tumor suppressor role of (AChE)

In our study, since the majority 55 (72%) of cases were on chemotherapy, and due to the lack of literature on the effect of chemotherapy on (AChE), the potential impairment of (AChE) by chemotherapy is a major concern. Interestingly the impairment of the enzyme in this study ranges from severe in liver cancer to mild in prostate cancer and none of them receive chemotherapy.

The study reported severe impairment in the activity of the (AChE) in all patients with cancer compared to patients with no cancer.