title: Transcription factors GATA-4 and GATA-6 in human adrenocortical tumors.
abstract: Transcription factors GATA-4 and GATA-6 are expressed during normal adrenocortical development in mice and humans, and in vitro studies have linked them to adrenal steroidogenesis. GATA-4 is highly expressed in the adrenocortical tumors of gonadectomized mice, whereas GATA-6 is down-regulated in the tumor area. Based on these findings we studied GATA-4 and GATA-6 expression in 39 human adrenocortical tumors using RT-PCR, Northern analysis and immunohistochemistry. 6/18 adenomas and 4/11 carcinomas were positive for GATA-4 mRNA. GATA-6 mRNA was expressed in 19/19 adenomas and 9/10 carcinomas, and GATA-6 immunoreactivity was remarkably lower in adrenocortical carcinomas than in adenomas (p < 0.05). Some of the steroidogenically active human adrenocortical cells (NCI-H295R) were weakly positive for GATA-4, whereas steroidogenically inactive cells (ACT-1) were totally GATA-4 negative. In contrast, both cell lines expressed GATA-6. GATA expression patterns similar to the animal models can thus be observed in human adrenocortical tumors, but the pathophysiological significance of these findings remains to be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiiveri
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heikkilä
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arola
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lehtonen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Voutilainen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heikinheimo
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000306:Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D050993:GATA6 Transcription Factor; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013256:Steroids / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D050993:GATA6 Transcription Factor; C494759:GATA6 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013256:Steroids; D014157:Transcription Factors