Correlations between reduced expression of the metastasis suppressor gene KAI-1 and accumulation of p53 in uterine carcinomas and sarcomas.
Kangai (KAI)-1 (CD82) is a metastasis suppressor gene, which belongs to the family of tetraspanin proteins. A loss of KAI-1 expression is associated with the advanced stages of many human malignancies. The present study was designed to investigate the expression pattern of KAI-1 in the normal endometrium and uterine tumors and to correlate it with the expression of tumor suppressor protein p53. KAI-1 could be found in the normal endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle. Thirteen of 42 endometrial carcinomas demonstrated moderate KAI-1 expression, but low expression of p53. Twenty-nine of 42 endometrial carcinomas showed reduced or absent KAI-1 expression, which correlated with strong expression of p53 (p < 0.001). There were significant correlations between KAI-1 expression and histological type, e.g., 93% of endometrioid carcinomas displayed a low or moderate immunostaining for KAI-1, whereas nearly all of the serous/clear cell carcinomas were KAI-1 negative (p < 0.001); tumor grading, e.g., 73% of high grade tumors showed no KAI-1 expression (p < 0.001). Most of the investigated uterine sarcomas were negative for KAI-1, whereas they displayed a strong immunostaining for p53. In conclusion, KAI-1 and p53 show inverse expression. The reduced KAI-1 expression may be the result of dysregulated p53 function and could be an important step in the endometrial carcinogenesis.
Briese
Juliane
J
Section on Endocrinology and Metabolism of Ageing, University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. j.briese@leeds.ac.uk
Schulte
Heinrich M
HM
Sajin
Maria
M
Bamberger
Christoph
C
Redlin
Katja
K
Milde-Langosch
Karin
K
Löning
Thomas
T
Bamberger
Ana-Maria
AM
D018262:Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051861:Kangai-1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018203:Sarcoma, Endometrial Stromal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051861:Kangai-1 Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53