title: Expression of tumor-associated differentially expressed Gene-14 (TADG-14/KLK8) and its protein hK8 in uterine endometria and endometrial carcinomas.
abstract: To clarify the biological behavior of TADG-14/KLK8, we investigated TADG-14/KLK8 mRNA by semiquantitative RT-PCR and hK8 expression by immunohistochemistry using 37 normal endometria and 44 endometrial carcinoma tissues. TADG-14/KLK8 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in proliferative compared to secretory phase endometria (p = 0.0143). Levels of TADG-14/KLK8 mRNA expression correlated with hK8 protein levels. hK8 was detected in 73.3% (11/15) of endometria with a significantly higher detection rate in the proliferative compared to secretory and atrophic phase endometria (p = 0.0002). High expression of hK8 was found in 61.4% of endometrial carcinomas compared to 35.1% of endometrial tissue samples (p = 0.0187). hK8 expression was significantly higher in stage I (p = 0.0433, 0.0038) and grade 1/2 (G1/2) of the tumors (p = 0.0195, 0.0044). We suggest that expression of TADG-14/KLK8may be regulated by sex steroid hormones in endometria. Our results indicate that elevated TADG-14/KLK8 expression is an early event in endometrial carcinogenesis, and may potentially serve as a useful early biomarker for the detection of endometrial carcinomas in menopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Honghua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Nobutaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Kazushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shigemasa
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Hirotoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Mayu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yunokawa
authors.forename: Koso
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohama
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C094799:KLK8 protein, human; D007610:Kallikreins