title: Protein kinase p-JNK is correlated with the activation of AP-1 and its associated Jun family proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: To study the role of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and its relation to transcription factor AP-1 and Jun family proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with or without hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization techniques were performed for studying phosphorylated JNK (p-JNK), c-Jun, JunB, JunD and AP-1 in 40 cases of human HCC and corresponding nontumoral tissues. Positive staining of nucleus for p-JNK, c-Jun, JunD and AP-1 was presented in 28 (70%), 29 (72.5%), 32 (80%) and 25 (62.5%) in cancer cells respectively, while 0%, 28%, 17.5% and 10% in adjacent non-tumor tissues. The expression levels of p-JNK, c-Jun, JunD and AP-1 were significantly and positively correlated with each other and with HBsAg positive rate (P<0.05). JunB was negative staining in both cancer cells and non-tumor tissues of all cases. JNK phosphorylation may correlate with AP-1 activation and the expression of c-Jun and JunD in HCC. JNK/c-Jun/JunD/AP-1 signaling pathway may play an important role in the pathogenesis of HBV-associated HCC. JunB may not be involved in the process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Zhujiang Hospital, Guangzhou, China. linglangg@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Linlang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Xiaobao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism*; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases