Acetylcholinesterase enzyme among cancer patients - a potential diagnostic and prognostic indicator - a multicenter case–control study

Sep 21, 2026

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Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity can be impaired by inhibitors such as organophosphorus pesticides, causing acetylcholine accumulation. A multicenter hospital-based case–control study recruited 150 participants in Sudan, including cancer patients and cancer-free controls, and compared blood AChE activity after collecting demographic, environmental, occupational, and clinical data. Mean age was 40.6±14.8 years, with breast cancer the most common subtype. Results showed significantly impaired AChE activity in cancer patients versus controls (53.4±20.3% vs 93.8±8.8; p=0.001), supporting AChE activity as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Study Design and Participants

Data Collection and AChE Measurement

Results

Tumor Subtypes and Regional Distribution

AChE Activity Comparison

Discussion and Implications

Recommendations

[www. nature.com/scientificreports](www. nature.com/scientificreports) OPEN Acetylcholinesterase enzyme among cancer patients a potential diagnostic and prognostic indicator a multicenter case–control study GasmelseedY. Ahmed1,2, Ahmed A. Osman 3* & Ahlam Mukhtar4,5 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. Keywords Acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE), Acetylcholine (ACh), Cancer, Sudan Abbreviations AChE Acetylcholinesterase enzyme ACh Acetylcholine CAT Choline acetyltransferase ROS Reactive oxygen stress RICK Radiation and Isotopes Center Khartoum INMO Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Biology and Oncology HCC Hepatocellular carcinoma AD Alzheimer’s disease The etiology of cancer involves several causes where cells start to grow abnormally in an uncontrollable manner. Cancer cells tend to invade adjoining parts of the body and diffuse to affect other organs. It is the second cause of death with nearly 10 million deaths worldwide, the lung cancer is the leading cause of death followed by colorectal, liver, stomach, and breast cancers1. Only 5–10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle, including cigarette smoking, fried foods, red meat, alcohol, sun exposure, environmental pollutants, infections, stress, obesity, and physical inactivity2. In most cases, genetic mutations are present while the associated risk factors start the process of changing the normal pattern of cellular proliferation and differentiation. Scholars identified genes such as oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, apoptosis genes, and DNA repair genes to be responsible for mutations 1Columbia University Hospital, New York, NY, USA. 2Faculty of Medicine, and Health Sciences, Managil University for Sciences & Technology, Managil, Sudan. 3Independant Scholar, Chesterfield, UK. 4Stack Laboratory, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan. 5Radiation and Isotopes Center Khartoum, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum, Sudan.* email: [sudanup.ao@gmail.com](sudanup.ao@gmail.com) [www. nature.com/scientificreports/](www. nature.com/scientificreports/) and changing the normal cell division processes3,4. (AChE) plays an important role in the formation of apoptosome and the regulation ofthe apoptotic process5. Decrease levels of (AChE) produce substantial DNA damage, reactive oxygen stress (ROS), and rise micronuclei frequencies, leading to the increased risk of genotoxic processes6,7. Carcinogenesis analysis show

FAQs

What was the main objective of the study on acetylcholinesterase and cancer?

To determine the association between cancer and blood acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity levels, assessing its value as a diagnostic and prognostic indicator.

How were participants selected and how many were included?

A multicenter hospital-based case–control design recruited 150 participants, with half being cancer patients and half cancer-free controls, from the Khartoum radiation and isotopes and related institutions.

What did the study find about AChE activity in cancer patients compared with controls?

Cancer patients showed significantly impaired AChE activity compared with controls (53.4±20.3% vs 93.8±8.8; p=0.001), indicating a significant statistical association with cancer.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Anda