mRNA expression of topoisomerase II in human tumors and normal tissues.

The cellular levels of topoisomerase II expression were compared between 10 fresh human tumors and normal tissues to predict the selective anticancer effect of its inhibitors such as adriamycin and VP-16. Topoisomerase II expression was observed in 9 of the 10 tumor tissues (90.0 per cent), 3 of which showed extremely high levels, whereas only 5 of the normal tissues (50.0 per cent) expressed any cellular topoisomerase II and the levels were not higher than those seen in the cancer cells. Six of the 9 positive tumors showed a higher level of topoisomerase II expression than the normal tissues, while the other 3 showed the same level. It can be interpreted from these results that topoisomerase II inhibitors could be effective in cancer patients due to the greater level of this enzyme in tumor cells than in normal tissues. Thus, it is suggested that a comparative analysis of topoisomerase II expression between tumors and normal tissues may be useful for predicting the selective cytotoxicity of topoisomerase II inhibitors in clinical practice.