Caspase-3 and survivin expression in pediatric neuroblastoma and their roles in apoptosis.
BACKGROUND
Neuroblastoma, one of the common tumors in children, possesses the feature of natural regression that might be related to apoptosis caspase-3 and survivin are believed to respectively induce and inhibit apoptosis. We investigated the expression of caspase-3 and survivin in pediatric neuroblastoma and the role that these genes played in apoptosis.


METHODS
The expression of caspase-3 and survivin in pediatric neuroblastoma tissue samples was detected using in situ hybridization, ter mintuesal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), and immunohistochemical staining. The role that these genes played in apoptosis was then evaluated.


RESULTS
A converse correlation was observed between the expression of survivin and caspase-3. When survivin was expressed at high levels in neuroblastoma samples, caspase-3 expression was downregulated, and the apoptotic index decreased simultaneously.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a converse correlation between the expression of caspase-3 and the expression of survivin in neuroblastoma cells, indicating that caspase-3 might induce apoptosis, and survivin may inhibit this process.
Wang
Jia-xiang
JX
Cancer Institute, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.
Zheng
Shu
S
D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D000077022:Survivin
C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases