[The correlation of immunohistochemical expression of human manganase-superoxide dismutase and outcome of the patients with medulloblastomas].
There in no clear indicator for making a prognosis in patients with medulloblastoma. The effects of adjuvant therapy on the tumor are exerted through free radicals that emerge in the cytoplasm of tumor cells following chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Thus, free radical scavengers, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), in tumor cells may antagonize the effects of adjuvant therapy. In order to determine whether there is a correlation between SOD levels and the prognosis of medulloblastoma patients, SOD expression in tumor tissue was investigated immunohistochemically in eleven cases of medulloblastoma by using a polyclonal antibody against human manganase SOD. Abundant SOD was expressed in the tumors of patients with poor outcomes whereas there was little SOD expression in patients with good outcomes. This suggests that resistance to adjuvant therapy depends on the level of SOD in tumor tissue. The effect of adjuvant therapy on medulloblastoma depends on the production of oxygen free radicals. Thus, if the tumor cells contain free radical scavengers, such a SOD, the effects of adjuvant therapy may be reduced. Measurement of SOD in tumor tissue is useful as a prognostic indicator in medulloblastoma.
Toyonaga
S
S
Department of Neurosurgery, Kochi Medical School, Japan.
Kurisaka
M
M
Mori
K
K
Taniguchi
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000201:enzymology*; D011379:Prognosis; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis
D005609:Free Radicals; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase