Integrin-linked kinase cytoplasmic and nuclear expression in laryngeal carcinomas.
Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) has been implicated in the development and progression of several human malignancies. Previous in vitro studies also implicate ILK in the activation of Akt and beta-catenin as well as in the regulation of E-cadherin expression. However, the role of ILK in human laryngeal cancer and its possible in vivo downstream effectors in the disease are currently unknown. We examined by immunohistochemistry the protein expression of ILK, phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt), E-cadherin, and beta-catenin in 97 invasive squamous laryngeal carcinomas. Increased cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of ILK and p-Akt decreased membranous expression of E-cadherin and nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin was found in 87.6%, 85.6%, 71.1%, and 43.3% of cases, respectively. Our results suggest that ILK expression may be implicated in human laryngeal carcinoma and its localization in the nucleus possibly proposes novel nuclear functions of this molecule. In addition, enhanced ILK expression correlates with activation of Akt but not with downregulation of E-cadherin and activation of beta-catenin. Finally, in our material while activated Akt seems to characterize well-differentiated tumors, loss of E-cadherin and activation of beta-catenin correlated with high grade carcinomas.
Goulioumis
Anastasios K
AK
Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, 26500, Greece.
Bravou
Vasiliki
V
Varakis
John
J
Goumas
Panos
P
Papadaki
Helen
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism; D000099200:Scaffold Protein ILK
D015820:Cadherins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051176:beta Catenin; D000099200:Scaffold Protein ILK