ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the influence of β-catenin gene deletion on Stat-5α phosphorylation in bcr-abl induced leukemia cells. Methods The established conditonal hematopoitic β-catenin knockout mice were used to isolate bone marrow cells. Exogenous bcr-abl fusion gene was transduced to these bone marrow cells by retroviral infection with intent to transfom them to leukemia cells.Immunofluorescence was performed to detect the phosphorylation status of Stat-5α in both β-catenin deletion cells and control cells. bcr-abl transcription and protein levels were evaluated with real-time PCR and western blotting. Results Phosphorylation of Stat-5α was reduced significantly in β-catenin deletion leukemia cells on comparison with control cells despite that total Stat-5α protein showed no obvious changes. Total tyrosine phosphorylation and bcr-abl protein expression were reduced in bcr-abl induced β-catenin deletion CML cells,on the contrary, both of the reduction were not seen in bcr-abl induced β-catenin deletion ALL cells.Conclusion Loss of β-catenin inhibits both Stat-5α phosphorylationin and bcr-abl expression in bcr-abl induced leukemia cells.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The conformation of a subset of phosphorylated serines or threonines preceding proline motifs is regulated by the prolyl isomerase Pin1. Pin1 plays a critical role in oncogenesis. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between the expression of Pin1 and clinicopathological factors in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung, and to analyze the correlation between Pin1 and β-catenin.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of Pin1 and β-catenin proteins was detected in 69 lung cancer cases by immunohistochemical SP method, and in 30 fresh lung samples by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Immunohistochemically, the overexpression of Pin1 and β-catenin in lung cancer was 78.3% (54/69) and 63.8% (44/69), respectively. The expression of Pin1 and β-catenin was not related to age, sex, histological classification, differentiation, lymph node metastasis and pTNM stages. There was a positive correlation between overexpression of Pin1 and aberrant β-catenin expression (P < 0.05). Western blot results showed that the expression of Pin1 and β-catenin in lung cancer tissues was significantly higher than that of paracancerous lung tissues (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Pin1 is overexpressed in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung and may play a critical role in oncogenesis of lung cancer. Overexpression of Pin1 might contribute to the upregulation of β-catenin and it may be one of the pathways for Pin1 to work.</p>
ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Immunocytochemistry is valuabale in differentiating malignant fluids from benign ones. However, the diagnostic value of a single tumor marker is limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical value of capture of cancer cells in pleural fluids of patients with lung cancer by cytochip.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A new pattern cytochip was developed to immunize hybridization of cells in pleural fluids of patients with 42 lung cancers and with 20 lung benign lesions. Ten antibodies were fixed on the cytochip, they were epithelial specific antigen (ESA), CD44V6, ND-1, T cell (CD3), CD45RO, B cell (CD20), CD79a, Hodgkin's cell (CD15), CD30 and macrophage (CD68).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The point of positive hybridization showed round distribution with clear border, and the shape of cell displayed well. The positive numbers of ESA, CD44V6, ND-1 were 35, 30, 38 respectively in pleural fluids of 42 patients with luog cancers; lymphocytes and neutrophils were found on the 1 ESA and 1 ND-1 respectively, and only lymphocytes were found on the 3 CD44V6 in 20 ones with lung benign lesions; the other 7 antibodies did not capture cancer cells except for lymphocytes, neutrophils and macrophages from two pleural fluids.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The cytochip could be an important practical foreground in clinic for diagnosing cancer cells in pleural fluids of patients with lung cancer.</p>