The possible role of vitamin A in the pathogenesis of bilharzial bladder cancer among Egyptians, particularly as it relates to the histopathologic tumor type, was investigated. Bilharzial patients and bladder cancer patients with squamous cell carcinoma, the most prevalent type in Egypt, showed significantly lower levels of vitamin A than normal male subjects. In contrast, bladder cancer patients with transitional cell carcinoma had levels that were not significantly different from normal male subjects. The possible role of vitamin A in the etiology of bilharzial bladder cancer is discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AbelsJ.C., GorhnamA.T., PackG.T., RhoadsC.P.: Metabolic studies in patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract. I. Plasma vitamin A levels in patients with malignant neoplastic disease, particularly of the gastrointestinal tract. J. Clin. Invest., 20: 749–755, 1941.
2.
BasuT.K., DonaldsonD., JennerM., WilliamsD.C., SakulaA.: Plasma vitamin A in patients with bronchial carcinoma. Br. J. Cancer, 33: 119–121, 1976.
3.
BecciP.J., ThompsonH.J., GrubbsC.J., SquireR.A., BrownC.C., SpornM.B., MoonR.C.: Inhibitory effect of 13-cis-retinoic acid on urinary bladder carcinogenesis induced in C57BL/6 mice by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine. Cancer Res., 38: 4463–4466, 1978.
4.
BollagW.: Therapy of chemically induced skin tumors of mice with vitamin A palmitate and vitamin A acid. Experientia, 27: 90–92, 1971.
5.
BjelkeE.: Dietary vitamin A and human lung cancer. Int. J. Cancer, 15: 561–565, 1975.
6.
ConeM.V., NettesheimP.: Effects of vitamin A on 3-methylcholanthrene-induced squamous metaplasias and early tumors in the respiratory tract of rats. J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 50: 1599–1606, 1976.
7.
CohenM.H., PrimackA., BroderL.E., WilliamsL.R.: Vitamin A serum levels and dietary vitamin A intake in lung cancer patients. Cancer Lett., 4: 45–51, 1978.
8.
Cook-MozaffariP.: The epidemiology of cancer of the oesophagus. Natl. Cancer Inst. Monogr., 1: 5–60, 1979.
9.
El-BolkainyM.N., GhoneimM.A., El-MorsiB.A., NasrA.M.: Carcinoma of bilharzial bladder, diagnostic value of urine cytology. Urology, 111: 319–323, 1974.
10.
El-SebaiI., El-BolkainyM.N., HussinM.H.: Cancer Institute Registry. Med. J. Cairo Univ., 41: 175–181, 1973.
11.
EvardJ.P., BollagW.: Konservative Behandlung der rezidivierenden Harnblasenpapillomatose mit vitamin-A-Saure. Schweiz. Med. Wochenschr., 102: 1880–1883, 1972.
12.
FujimakiY.: Formation of carcinoma in albino rats fed on deficient diets. J. Cancer Res., 10: 469–477, 1926.
13.
GentaV.M., KaufmanD.G., HarrisC.C., SmithJ.M., SpornM.B., SaffiottiU.: Vitamin A deficiency enhances the binding of benzo(a)pyrene to tracheal epithelial DNA. Nature, 247: 48–49, 1974.
14.
IbrahimK., JafareyN.A., ZuberiS.J.: Plasma vitamin A and carotene levels in squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity and oro-pharynx. Clin. Oncol., 3: 203, 1977.
15.
NewberneP.M., SuphakarnV.: Preventive role of vitamin A in colon carcinogenesis in rats. Cancer, 40: 2553–2556, 1977.
16.
OlsonJ.A.: Metabolism and function of vitamin A. Fed. Proc., 28: 1670–1677, 1969.
17.
PatersonJ.C.S., WigginsH.S.: Determination of serum β-carotene and vitamin A. J. Clin. Pathol., 7: 56–60, 1954.
18.
PeckG.L., OlsenT.G., BurkusD., PandyaM., Arnaud BattandierJ., YoderF., LevisW.R.: Treatment of basal cell carcinomas with 13-cis-retinoic acid. Proc. Am. Assoc. Cancer Res., 20: 56, 1979.
19.
PortC.D., SpornM.B., KaufmanD.G.: Prevention of lung cancer in hamster by 13-cis-retinoic acid. Proc. Am. Assoc. Cancer Res., 16: 21, 1975.
20.
SpornM.B., SquireR.A., BrownC.C., SmithJ.M., WenkM.L., SpringerS.: 13-Cis-retinoic acid: Inhibition of bladder carcinogenesis in the rat. Science, 195: 487–489, 1977.
21.
SquireR.A., SpornM.B., BrownC.C., SmithJ.M., WenkM.L., SpringerS.: Histopathological evaluation of the inhibition of rat bladder carcinogenesis by 13-cis-retinoic acid. Cancer Res., 37: 2930–2936, 1977.
22.
WahiP.N., KeharU., LahiriB.: Factors influencing oral and oropharyngeal cancer in India. Br. J. Cancer, 19: 646, 1965.
