Increase of NAD glycohydrolase activity in uterine cervix cancers is caused by infiltration of lymphocytes

CD38 is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein which is expressed by hematopo ietic and nonhematopoietic cells in human. It has two functions of ADP-ribo syl cyclase and cyclic ADP-ribose hydrolase activities and the sum of these two enzyme activities is identical with NAD glycohydrolase (NADase) activi ty. The levels of NADase activity in human cervical carcinoma and normal ca ncer tissue were measured. With a total of 12 patients with cervical cancer and ii women with normal cervix, cancer tissues were found to have signifi cantly higher NADase and ADP-ribosyl cyclase activities than the control gr oup. Moreover, immunoblot analysis showed an increase of immunoreactivity a gainst CD38 in cervical cancer tissues compared with normal tissues. Immuno histochemical data indicated that the increase of CD38 expression was due t o increased infiltration of lymphocytes. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.