title: Vitamin D receptor expression in human brain tumors.
abstract: Vitamin D receptor (VDR) has important effects not only on physiological processes related to Ca2+ metabolism but also on cell growth and differentiation. VDR is a member of the Steroid-Thyroid Receptors Superfamily (STRS). Work in our and other laboratories has shown that several other members of the STRS (androgen, estrogen, glucocorticoid, and progesterone receptors) are present in astrocytomas and glioblastomas. We now report the finding of VDR-like mRNA in human anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastomas. VDR mRNA levels, as determined by a method, developed in our laboratory, based on the polymerase chain reaction, are significantly higher in glioblastomas compared to both low and high grade astrocytomas. We discuss the biological and clinical implications of our results.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chirurgia-Neurochirurgia, Università di Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magrassi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milanesi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Butti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D014807:Vitamin D