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Thioredoxin reductase activity at the surface of human primary cutaneous melanomas and their surrounding skin
Author(s) -
Schallreuter Karin U.,
Jänner Michael,
Mensing Hartwig,
Breitbart Eckard W.,
Berger Jürgen,
Wood John M.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.2910480104
Subject(s) - breslow thickness , melanoma , thioredoxin reductase , epidermis (zoology) , allosteric regulation , reductase , chemistry , enzyme , biology , pathology , medicine , thioredoxin , cancer research , biochemistry , cancer , anatomy , sentinel lymph node , breast cancer
Plasma membrane‐associated thioredoxin reductase activities have been determined on primary melanoma tissues and their surrounding skin in 29 patients. Compared to patient's normal skin, enzyme activities in melanoma were higher in some patients (n = 24) and lower in others (n = 5). Those melanomas with high TR activities yielded low activities in the adjacent epidermis, reaching normal activity 3 to 5 cm away from each primary site (n = 4). Tumors with low activities showed higher than normal activities on the immediate surrounding skin (i.e. , I cm away from the tumor) compared to the normal skin (n = 3). Earlier it was shown that in both keratinocytes and melanoma cells, calcium regulates thioredoxin reductase activity by an allosteric mechanism. The differences in TR activities within the high and low groups may be caused by a calcium flux between the primary tumor and the surrounding epidermis, and Wee versa. A comparison of TR activities to tumor invasiveness (Breslow level) in 28 primary melanomas showed a significant correlation using regression analysis (p = 0.031). A 4‐fold difference in TR activity corresponds to a one‐unit change in Breslow determination. These preliminary results suggest that TR activity may be another useful and sensitive assay for melanoma spread.