Thymidine kinase

Thymidine kinase (TK) is an essential enzyme which is expressed in cell division activity. An increased level of cell division is linked to
malignant tumour diseases, such as leukaemia and lymphomas.

TK is an enzyme that allows a cell to utilize an alternate metabolic pathway for incorporating thymidine into DNA. A healthy, fully grown adult displays a constant level of Thymidine Kinase in the blood, while young people naturally express slightly higher Thymidine Kinase levels.

The amount of Thymidine Kinase in the blood serum corresponds to the number of dividing malignant cells. If the Thymidine Kinase level increases, an increasing number of malignant cells are dividing, a good indicator of tumour growth.

Several clinical investigations clearly show that abnormal Thymidine Kinase levels indicate active tumour growth.