title: Expression of manganese superoxide dismutase in esophageal and gastric cancers.
abstract: The tumor-killing activity of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for cancer is closely associated with the production of active oxygen, and the relation between therapeutic resistance and active oxygen scavengers produced by the tumor itself is gaining more attention. It is considered that manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) protects host cells from oxidative stress, in synergy with other antioxidant enzymes. In this study, we used a quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay to measure MnSOD mRNA in resected specimens from patients with esophageal and gastric cancers. In both esophageal and gastric cancers, the level of MnSOD mRNA was significantly elevated in cancer tissue compared to non-cancer tissue (P < 0.01). In gastric cancer tissue, the MnSOD mRNA level was significantly higher than in esophageal cancer tissue (P < 0.01). The significance of MnSOD in cancer tissue was investigated further by measuring MnSOD content in resected specimens using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and by examining its location by an immunohistochemical method. Upregulation of MnSOD in cancer tissue most likely serves as a protective mechanism against anti-cancer therapies known to produce superoxide radicals as a key component of their tumor-killing activity.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Kinki University, School of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Izutani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imano
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohyanagi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase