title: Frequent expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.
abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) plays important biological roles in cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems, and is synthesized by nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Intracellular NO is known to cause DNA damage as a mutagen. We examined the expression of cytokine-inducible NOS (iNOS) in human esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. Weak iNOS immunoreactivity was seen in the basal and parabasal layers of non-neoplastic esophageal stratified squamous epithelium. iNOS expression was detected in 50 (87.7%) of the 57 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, regardless of the depth of tumor invasion, histological differentiation and lymph node status. Early-stage cancers, i.e. mucosal squamous cell carcinomas, also showed significant iNOS expression. We speculate that increased iNOS expression is associated with the carcinogenesis of human esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kijima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Himeno
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kenmochi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oshiba
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kise
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chino
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Machimura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Makuuchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II