Human 5-, 12-and 15-lipoxygenase-1 coexist in kidney but show opposite trends and their balance changes in cancer

Lipoxygenases make an impact on every stage of cancer affecting carcinogenesis, metastasis and apoptosis. While there is a rich literature on individual lipoxygenases we lack extensive data on their coexistence and balance in different organs and types of cancer. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, characterized by a lack of early warning signs, diverse clinical manifestations, resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. One third of patients will relapse and the 5-year survival rate is <10% in cases of metastases. Many drugs are metabolized in the kidneys and might interact with lipoxygenases that are biocatalysts for many endo- and xenobiotics. In the present study, we examined the kidney tissue from healthy individuals and cancer patients by immunohistochemical analysis for the presence of 3 lipoxygenases: 5-LOX, 12S-LOX and 5-LOX-1. Our findings confirmed their coexistence and opposite trends of manifestation in the course of disease with increased 15-LOX-1 and decreased 5- and 12-LOX levels at the onset of cancer reversing with the progressing stage of the disease or the grade of tumor. Unlike other malignancies, there are no biomarkers to individualize RCC management. Modern therapies are using TKI therapy, targeting VEGF and may cause hypertension as a side-effect. 12S-LOX is intertwined with kinases and VEGF and increased secretion of 12S-HETE in urine is known to accompany hypertension. Thus, it may be valuable to probe 12S-LOX activity and monitor its natural metabolite to seek a possible aid in directing the treatment of patients.