Immunohistochemical analysis of nm23-H1 protein in bladder cancer.
BACKGROUND
The nm23 gene was first identified from murine K-1735 melanoma cell lines and possesses metastasis-suppressor activity. However, conflicting results concerning the metastasis-suppressor activity of nm23-H1 gene product have been reported in human solid tumors. The significance of nm23-H1 protein in bladder cancer remains to be determined. Therefore, we examined nm23-H1 protein expression immunohistochemically in bladder cancer.


METHODS
Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens were obtained from 39 patients with primary bladder cancer who had undergone radical cystectomy between 1987 and 1994. The specimens were examined immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody to nm23-H1, and the results of immunostaining were compared with clinicopathologic factors and patient survival.


RESULTS
Positive nm23-H1 protein expression was confined primarily to the cytoplasm of bladder cancer cells. A higher frequency of nm23-H1 positive expression was seen in higher stage tumors. There was a positive trend for the expression of nm23-H1 protein with the progression of the tumor (p < 0.025). No relationship was found between nm23-H1 protein expression and patients' clinicopathologic factors including age, tumor size, tumor morphology and tumor grade. Furthermore, nm23-H1 protein expression was not correlated with patient survival.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that in bladder cancer nm23-H1 protein expression may play an important role in tumor progression rather than in metastasis suppression.
Department of Surgery, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
J Y
JY
Kuo
H
H
Chiang
K K
KK
Chen
L S
LS
Chang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology
D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D014157:Transcription Factors; C517938:NME1 protein, human; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins