title: Aldolase isoenzyme patterns during human ontogeny and in lung, kidney and breast cancer.
abstract: Enzyme patterns characteristic of fetal tissue have been noted in some experimental tumor models, particularly in hepatomas. In this study we undertook to determine whether biochemical evidence of a similar reversion could be detected in tumors of other human organs. As marker, we chose to use the aldolase isoenzymes A, B and C, for which distinct adult and fetal tissue patterns have been described. Using monospecific antibodies, we determined the aldolase isoenzyme pattern in a variety of human organs ranging in age from 14 to 40 weeks of gestation, in the 2- to 3-month postnatal period and in adults. In addition, 19 breast cancers, 19 primary lung cancers and 8 kidney cancers were examined. Our studies on breast cancer revealed three apparently distinct groups -- one showing primarily the A isoenzyme type (6 cases), a second containing mainly A with considerable quantities of B and C isoenzymes (9 cases) and a third group (4 cases) which may contain a different isoenzyme altogether since the combined activity of the three known forms was less than 100% in each case. In lung cancer, fetal characteristics could be substantiated since in fetal and adult lung tissue, the isoenzyme pattern is almost identical; 3 out of 19 cases showed substantial quantities of the B isoenzyme. In kidney tumors, a reversion to the A form with an appreciable fraction of the C form was found, which is similar to the fetal pattern.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000201:enzymology; D005634:Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D005634:Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase