title: Endogenous gamma-interferon activates thymidine phosphorylase in colorectal cancer tissue.
abstract: We measured neopterin (NPT), an indirect marker of gamma (gamma)-interferon, and the activity of thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) in the advancing front of colorectal carcinoma and in normal mucosa. Cancer showed a higher concentration of NPT than normal mucosa and also showed significantly higher (p < 0.0001) dThdPase activity than normal mucosa. There was a strong correlation between NPT concentration and dThdPase activity in cancerous and normal mucosa. These results suggest that endogenous gamma-interferon could activate dThdPase activity, which is essential to nucleic acid metabolism because it regulates the availability of thymidine.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwagaki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hizuta
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawahara
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Orita
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology*; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019798:Neopterin; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase