Superoxide dismutase activity in renal cell carcinoma.

Both Cu-Zn- and Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were determined in renal cell carcinoma and tumor-uninvolved renal tissues in 25 patients with renal cancer. These enzymatic activities were similar in tumor and tumor-uninvolved renal tissues. The age of the patients, grade or stage of tumors had no apparent effect on SOD activities. Renal arterial embolization caused a slight decrease (p less than 0.05) in Cu-Zn-SOD activity in tumor tissues, but none in other enzymes in the same tissues, while renal arterial embolization reduced each SOD activity in tumor-uninvolved renal tissues (p less than 0.01 - p less than 0.001). Therefore the development of renal cell carcinoma is probably not related to the abnormality of renal SOD, but renal ischemic changes appear to lower each SOD activity in normal renal tissues.