[Study of arginase activity of mixed saliva in cancer].

The aim of the study was to investigate the activity of arginase of mixed saliva with the subsequent application of the results obtained in clinical laboratory diagnostics. Arginine metabolic parameters were studied in particular arginase activ- ity, concentration of nitric oxide, urea and uric acid. There was found a three-fold increase of arginase activity and a four- fold reduction of nitric oxide in mixed saliva of patients on the background of cancer. There was established inverse rela- tionship between arginase activity and nitric oxide as well as between the concentration of urea and nitrogen oxides. Basic possibility of differential diagnosis of benign and malignant neoplastic disease was showed .using chemometric methods. Imbalance of arginase activity and nitric oxide in the saliva of cancer patients could be an important diagnostic and prog- nostic criterion.