Thymidylate synthase inhibition after administration of fluorouracil with or without leucovorin in colon cancer patients: implications for treatment with fluorouracil.

PURPOSE

To determine the time-dependence of fluorouracil (5FU)-induced thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibition in colon cancer patients, the effect of leucovorin (LV), and the relation to response.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A 5FU injection (500 mg/m2) was given to 47 patients with advanced colorectal cancer; tumor biopsy specimens were obtained 1 to 72 hours after laparotomy. Eleven patients received LV (2-hour infusion of 500 mg/m2) with 5FU midinfusion; biopsies were obtained after 45 hours. TS inhibition was evaluated by comparing the number of total and free 5-fluoro-2'-deoxy-uridine-5'- monophosphate (UMP) (FdUMP) binding sites and the total and residual catalytic activity of TS.

RESULTS

The total catalytic TS activity varied from 0 to 621 pmol/h/mg protein and the total number of FdUMP binding sites varied from 0 to 976 fmol/mg protein. The residual catalytic TS activity after 2, 23, and 45 hours was 41%, 65%, and 74% of the total catalytic activity; the number of free FdUMP binding sites was 12%, 27%, and 49% of the total number, respectively. LV enhanced TS inhibition after 45 hours; the residual catalytic activity decreased from 74% to 49%, and the number of free FdUMP binding sites from 49% to 24%. Eleven of 19 patients treated with hepatic arterial infusion of 5FU had a partial response (PR). In the nonresponding patients, total TS activity was significantly higher (P < .05) than in responding patients. A high TS activity with a poor inhibition correlated with no response.

CONCLUSION

Residual and total TS activity are predictive for response to 5FU. The findings may be applicable for treatment of patients with advanced disease and TS should be evaluated as a prognostic factor in adjuvant chemotherapy studies.