ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are common malignant skin tumors. Despite having a significant invasion capacity, they metastasize only rarely. Our aim in this study was to detect the expression patterns of the NM23-H1, NDRG1, E-cadherin, RHOGDI2, CD82/KAI1, MKK4, and AKAP12 metastasis suppressor proteins in BCCs. METHODS: A total of 96 BCC and 10 normal skin samples were included for the immunohistochemical study. Eleven frozen BCC samples were also studied by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to detect the gene expression profile. RESULTS: NM23-H1 was strongly and diffusely expressed in all types of BCC. Significant cytoplasmic expression of NDRG1 and E-cadherin was also detected. However, AKAP12 and CD82/KAI1 expression was significantly decreased. The expressions of the other proteins were somewhere between the two extremes. Similarly, qRT-PCR analysis showed down-regulation of AKAP12 and up-regulation of NM23-H1 and NDRG1 in BCC. Morphologically aggressive BCCs showed significantly higher cytoplasmic NDRG1 expression scores and lower CD82/KAI1 scores than non-aggressive BCCs. CONCLUSION: The relatively preserved levels of NM23-H1, NDRG1, and E-cadherin proteins may have a positive effect on the non-metastasizing features of these tumors.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Basal Cell/chemistry , Carcinoma, Basal Cell/genetics , Carcinoma, Basal Cell/metabolism , Skin Neoplasms/chemistry , Skin Neoplasms/genetics , Tumor Suppressor Proteins/metabolism , A Kinase Anchor Proteins/analysis , A Kinase Anchor Proteins/genetics , Aged , Cadherins/analysis , Cadherins/genetics , Carcinoma, Basal Cell/secondary , Cell Cycle Proteins/analysis , Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics , Down-Regulation , Female , Gene Expression , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/analysis , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics , Kangai-1 Protein/analysis , Kangai-1 Protein/genetics , MAP Kinase Kinase 4/analysis , MAP Kinase Kinase 4/genetics , Male , Middle Aged , NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases/analysis , NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases/genetics , Skin/chemistry , Skin Neoplasms/pathology , Up-Regulation , rho Guanine Nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitor beta/analysis , rho Guanine Nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitor beta/geneticsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by the presence of chronic widespread pain throughout the musculoskeletal system and diffuse tenderness. Unfortunately, no laboratory tests have been appropriately validated for FM and correlated with the subsets and activity. The aim of this study was to apply a proteomic technique in saliva of FM patients: the Surface Enhance Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (SELDI-TOF). METHODS: For this study, 57 FM patients and 35 HC patients were enrolled. The proteomic analysis of saliva was carried out using SELDI-TOF. The analysis was performed using different chip arrays with different characteristics of binding. The statistical analysis was performed using cluster analysis and the difference between two groups was underlined using Student's t-test. RESULTS: Spectra analysis highlighted the presence of several peaks differently expressed in FM patients compared with controls. The preliminary results obtained by SELDI-TOF analysis were compared with those obtained in our previous study performed on whole saliva of FM patients by using electrophoresis. The m/z of two peaks, increased in FM patients, seem to overlap well with the molecular weight of calgranulin A and C and Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor 2, which we had found up-regulated in our previous study. CONCLUSION: These preliminary results showed the possibility of identifying potential salivary biomarker through salivary proteomic analysis with MALDI-TOF and SELDI-TOF in FM patients. The peaks observed allow us to focus on some of the particular pathogenic aspects of FM, the oxidative stress which contradistinguishes this condition, the involvement of proteins related to the cytoskeletal arrangements, and central sensibilization.
