Overexpression of mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase and peroxiredoxin III in hepatocellular carcinomas

Thioredoxin reductase 2 (TrxR2), thioredoxin II (Trx II) and peroxiredoxin III (Prx III) are specifically localized in mitochondria and believed to play important roles in the regulation of cellular redox status by serving as a primary line of defense against H2O2 produced during respiration. Substantial evidence indicates that the alteration of cellular redox status is a critical factor involved in cell growth and death and results in tumorigenesis. We therefore investigated the expression of TrxR2 and Prx III in 58 paraffin-embedded hepatocellular carcinoma tissues by immunohistochemistry. The labeling indices of TrxR2 and Prx III were significantly higher in tumor tissues than in the corresponding adjacent normal tissues. In 39 (67.2%) out of 58 samples, the levels of TrxR2 expression were higher in tumor tissues than in corresponding adjacent normal tissues, while 11 samples (19.0%) showed lower expression in tumor tissues. Prx III expression was increased in tumor tissues of 23 samples (39.7%) compared to adjacent normal tissues and were decreased in 18 samples (31.0%). These results suggest that alterations in cellular redox status by enhanced expression of TrxR2 and/or Prx III might be associated with the formation and development of hepatocellular carcinomas.