Determination of meprin alpha enzyme and its relationship with some antioxidants and interleukin 12 in the blood serum of patients with colon cancer

Background: Colon cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells that begins in a part of the large intestine called the colon. The colon is the first and longest section of the large intestine. The possible causes of colon cancer are genetic, environmental and nutritional factors. This study was prepared to help in identifying the causes and predicting the occurrence of colon cancer. Objective: To identify the possible factors as causes of colon cancer in a group of patients in Diyala Governorate - Iraq. Patients and Methods: In this study, blood serum samples were collected from 60 patients with colon cancer. 30 serum samples were collected from non-colon cancer patients who were considered a control group. The levels of alpha-meprin enzyme, catalase enzyme, nitric oxide and interleukin 12 were measured by immunoassay using the ELISA device. Results: The results showed that the levels of Meprin alpha and interleukin 12 had statistically significant values, as their levels were higher than the control group, while the levels of catalase and nitric oxide were low when compared to the control group. Conclusion: It was found that there is a significant positive correlation between meprin alpha and interleukin 12, and there was an inverse correlation between meprin alpha and catalase and nitric oxide. The results of our study indicated that the reason for the increase in meprin alpha and interleukin 12 is related to colon cancer. Keywords: Antioxidants, Interleukin 12, Meprin alpha, Catalase, Nitric Oxide.