title: Down-regulated expression of RhoA in human conventional renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common cancer in adult kidney. Delayed diagnosis may result in progression and metastasis. Markers for early detection of RCC are lacking. The small GTPase RhoA has been implicated in the regulation of cell morphology, motility and transformation, but the role of RhoA in tumorigenesis of RCC remains unclear. In this study, the significance of RhoA expression in human RCC was characterized.
  
  
  METHODS
  RhoA mRNA and protein expressions were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry respectively in 46 pairs of tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Real-time PCR revealed that RhoA mRNA expression was significantly lower in cancerous as compared to normal tissues (p = 0.036). RhoA protein expression was significantly higher in normal than in cancerous tissues (p = 0.032). However, RhoA expression did not correlate with age, differentiation grade or TNM stage (all p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RhoA down-regulation may be involved in human renal tumorigenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yeong-Shiau
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.forename: Chuang-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guang-Yaw
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yi-Zih
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Chao-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wang-Yi
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Chia-Tung
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Shun
authors.forename: Chia-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wen-Jeng
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Tzyh-Chyuan
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hour