Alpha- and beta-tubulin expression in rectal cancer development.
BACKGROUND
Microtubules are involved in cell growth and division, motility, signalling and in the development and maintenance of cell shape. Consequently, the non-equilibrium dynamics of these microtubules can be crucial to cellular function, including cancer development. Although the involvement of tubulins in human development has been well investigated, the role of alpha- and beta-tubulins in human tumorigenesis still remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate alpha- and beta-tubulin protein expression in rectal cancer development.


METHODS
By immuno-histochemistry, using alpha- and beta-tubulin monoclonal antibodies, 66 patients were examined, 32 of whom (22 male, 10 female; range 31-60 years, mean age 49.5 years) had preneoplastic lesions discovered during endoscopic surveillance, which were classified as mild, moderate and severe dysplastic polyps of the rectum, and 34 had invasive adenocarcinomas (24 male, 10 female; range 39-60 years, mean 52 years) of the rectum, with no local or distant metastases at the time of surgical resection.


RESULTS
In preneoplastic lesions, no statistically significant relationship was found among alpha- and beta-tubulin protein expression, grade of dysplasia, or other clinical data. Statistical association among alpha- and beta-tubulin immunoreactivity and Dukes' stages B and C was found with p = 0.017 and p = 0.009, respectively. No statistical relationship was found between alpha- and beta-tubulin protein expression among different grades of dysplasia. On the contrary, a significant relationship was detected among tubulins in different stages of cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
In this preliminary study a significant difference of alpha- and beta-tubulin protein expressions was found in polyps and invasive cancer of the rectum, indicating a possible role of tubulins in invasive, but not in preinvasive cancer development. This preliminary data suggest the possibility of performing alpha- and beta-tubulin protein expression in order to identify B stage versus C stage rectal cancer, before surgical treatment.
Giarnieri
Enrico
E
Cytopathology, II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. enrico.giarnieri@uniroma1.it
De Francesco
Gian Paolo
GP
Carico
Elisabetta
E
Midiri
Giuseppe
G
Amanti
Claudio
C
Giacomelli
Laura
L
Tucci
Gianfranco
G
Gidaro
Stefano
S
Stroppa
Italo
I
Gidaro
Giacomo
G
Giovagnoli
Maria Rosaria
MR
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007417:Intestinal Polyps / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014404:Tubulin / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014404:Tubulin