To our knowledge, there have been no previous reports regarding the immunohistochemistry and image cytometry to demonstrate elevated
Copper/
zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) expression and numbers of the clonal cells in human
gliomas. In 30 well-studied patients with
gliomas, immunoreactivity for Cu/Zn SOD and cytometric evidence of
DNA ploidy in the G2M cell cycle phase were evaluated from routinely prepared tissue blocks. Cu/Zn SOD positive
tumor cells were shown in 8 of 13
glioblastomas (mean quantitative immunoreactivity SOD score; 1), 3 of 8 anaplastic
gliomas (score; 0.6), and none of 9 low-grade
gliomas. The differences in SOD score was not significant. In hypertetraploid
glioblastomas, time to progression was shorter than for hypertetraploid of anaplastic
gliomas, while SOD scores were not significantly different. The same relationship held for
tetraploid specimens. Considering variables in combination, hypertetraploid
gliomas with high SOD immunoreactivity showed a significantly short time to progression (p < 0.05) (1-5 months after
radiotherapy and
chemotherapy) compared with hypertetraploid, low-SOD immunoreactivity
gliomas or
tetraploid, low-SOD immunoreactivity
gliomas. The
tumor cells with high SOD activity also tended to be resistant for
radiotherapy and anticancer drugs. Those results were suggested that the high grade
glioma with a single clone and low SOD activity were effective for
radiotherapy associated with oxidative stress, and that the high grade
gliomas with more than two clones and high SOD activity were very less effective for same
therapy. Cu/Zn SOD activity and the degree of the clonality in human
gliomas should be very important factors influencing a choice of oxidative cytotoxic treatment.