title: Expression of sialyltransferase family members in cervix squamous cell carcinoma correlates with lymph node metastasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Altered messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of the four sialyltransferases (STs including ST3Gal I, ST3Gal III, ST3Gal IV, and ST6Gal I) is important in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. This study further investigates their changes in mRNA expression of the four STs in FIGO stage IB1 squamous cell carcinoma to assess the extent of sialylation associated with lymph node metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Alterations in ST mRNA expression in FIGO IB1 cervical squamous cell carcinomas (n = 79) were examined by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both ST6Gal I mRNA and ST3Gal III mRNA expressions were significantly increased in patients with lymph node metastases compared to those without lymph node metastases (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively, Mann-Whitney U test). Using receiver operating characteristic curves of ST ratio index for accuracy comparison of lymph node metastases, ST3Gal III and ST6Gal I were observed to be fairly interchangeable (area under the curve (AUC) of 3Gal I = 0.810; AUC of 6Gal I = 0.786, significance of difference between AUC = 0.810). High ST6Gal I expression was associated with other invasive properties of cervical cancer, such as deep stromal invasion and presence of lymph-vascular space involvement. ST6Gal I expression seemed to be more enhanced in bigger tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggested that ST3Gal III and ST6Gal I were of importance for the lymph node metastases in FIGO IB1 cervical cancer patients; more specifically, overexpression of ST6Gal I was of crucial relevance for the presence of poor prognostic factors, such as deep stromal invasion and lymph-vascular space involvement and lymph node metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Peng-Hui
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ywan Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chi-Mou
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Juang
authors.forename: Yan-Ru
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hsiang-Tai
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Heung-Tat
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Ying-Chieh
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chiou-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012372:ROC Curve; D012044:Regression Analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012799:Sialyltransferases