title: The activity of class I, II, III, and IV of alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzymes and aldehyde dehydrogenase in pancreatic cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pancreas can metabolize ethanol via oxidative pathway involving the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) as well as the nonoxidative pathway. In this study, we compared the activity of ADH isoenzymes and ALDH in the pancreatic cancer with the activity in normal tissue. In addition, the differences between enzyme activities of drinkers and nondrinkers were compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  For the measurement of the activity of class I and II ADH isoenzymes and ALDH activity, we used the fluorometric methods. The total ADH activity and activity of class III and IV isoenzymes were measured by the photometric method. The samples were taken from 56 pancreatic cancer patients (22 drinkers and 34 nondrinkers) and 56 healthy subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The activity of class III ADH was significantly higher in cancer than in healthy tissues. Total activities of ADH and ALDH were not significantly different in cancer and normal cells. The differences between enzymes of drinkers and nondrinkers in both cancer and healthy tissue were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pancreatic cancer tissue exhibits higher activity of class III ADH isoenzyme than healthy tissue, and we consider that oxidative pathway of ethanol metabolism via ADH and ALDH does not play a role in pancreatic carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. wjelski@amb.edu.pl
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jelski
authors.forename: Lech
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chrostek
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szmitkowski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; C105552:alcohol dehydrogenase IV; C020145:formaldehyde dehydrogenase (glutathione); D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase