Tissue Distribution and Activity of Thioredoxin Reductase in Pancreatic Carcinoma

Background: Thioredoxin, NADPH, and thioredoxin reductase form the thioredoxin system which exists in all living cells. Oxidants have a major role in cancer pathogenesis; therefore, it is necessary to study the role of redox-active compounds such as thioredoxin reductase to increase our knowledge about the molecular mechanisms involved in cancer pathogenesis and ultimately design more effective treatments. The research on the role of the thioredoxin system in pancreatic cancer is limited; hence, we intend to compare the tissue distribution and activity of thioredoxin reductase in pancreatic cancer with healthy tissues located at the tumor margins. Methods: A total of 29 patients with pancreatic cancer participated in this study. The tissue distribution was determined by immunohistochemistry analysis. We used a commercial ELISA kit to determine enzyme activity. Results: There was no significant difference between the tumor tissue and its normal surrounding tissue in terms of thioredoxin reductase activity (P=0.56). However, there was a significant difference when we considered the different disease stages. A significant relationship also existed between the staining intensity of thioredoxin reductase and disease stage (P=0.022). Conclusion: There was no observed difference between the pancreatic cancer tissue and its healthy margin in terms of thioredoxin reductase activity and tissue distribution. This finding did not support its possible role in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis.