J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 61(1): 64-85, 1960

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STUDIES OF IRON METABOLISM IN CANCER

I have measured content of serum iron by Yoshikawa-Konno's method and the non-haemin iron of tissue by Yoneyama-Konno's method.
In the patient of gastric cancer, the meen value of serum iron was 60 γ/dl; that was about 50% of normal value. The degree of diminution of serum iron was seemed to be proportional to the size of tumor. When gastric cancer was resected, the serum iron increased and reached almost normal value on the 14th post-operative day. In the cases of which gastric cancer was not resected, no increase of serum iron was shown.
I have measured the density of iron content in the liver, gastric and duodenal mucosa, especially in the tumor region. Furthermore, I have investigated the absorption and distribution of iron utilizing radioisotope Fe⁵⁹.
Between gastric cancer and ulcer, on the iron content of gastric and duodenal mucosa outside of sicked area, there were somewhat much content of iron in the former and no remarkable differences on the content of P_II fraction in the both.
When a 10 mg of reduced iron was given to the tumor bearing mouse (subcutaneously transplated Ehrlich's cancer), there was shown increase of liver non-haemin iron as much as that of normal mouse.
Clinically, average density of iron content at the tumor region were as follows : Total non-haemin iron 41 γ/g, P_I 22 γ/g, P_II 10 γ/g, P_III 9 γ/g. Those showed an increase of 30% as compared with the mucosal region, and approached to the liver iron of gastric cancer. Especially the increase of P_III fraction was remarkable.
Experimentally, at the tumor region of tumor bearing mouse, there were a marked increase of iron; twice as much as that of the liver; three times as much as normal mucosa.
Iron has a tendency to assemble at the tumor region.
I gave a 0.5 μc of radioisotope Fe⁵⁹ (in the form of feric chlorid: FeCl₃) orally to the normal and tumor bearing mouse, and measured the excretion of iron in urine and faeces. There was almost no difference between them. It was considered, there was no marked differnce on the absorption of iron between cancer and non-cancer diseasee, there should be difference on the course of iron metabolism.
When on μC of Fe⁵⁹ was given intraperitoneally to tumor bearing mouse, Fe⁵⁹ in the liver began to in rease after 4 hours, reached the highest level on the 4th day, showed abrupt decrease thereafter. At the tumor region it increased gradually after 8 hours and more increase was shown after 10th or 15th day. In normal mouse a brupt decrease of liver Fe⁵⁹ after 4th day was not shown.
As to the non-haemin iron fraction containing Fee⁵⁹, P_III fraction showed specific change in tumor bearing mouse. P_III fraction more assembled at first in the liver, increased in tumor on the 12th hour, ther eafter it showed exceedingly large quantity of P_III in tumor.
It was concludes, in cancer disase, the absorption of iron was not prevented ; there should be change in th iron metabolism. Iron assembled at the tumor region; especially increase of P_III fraction in the tumor was remarkable.
(Author's abstract)

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