title: Expression of P-450(c11beta) in adrenal aldosterone-producing adenomas and nodular hyperplasia tissues.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our previous study suggests that decreased P-450(c17alpha) expression correlated with the overproduction of aldosterone in APA and nodular hyperplasia in patients with primary aldosteronism. This study was performed to further investigate if P-450(c11beta) contributes to the overproduction of aldosterone in APA and nodular hyperplasia tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total RNA and protein were extracted from 7 cases of APA tissue, 3 nodular hyperplasia tissues, 7 normal adrenal glands. P-450(c11beta) mRNA was examined by dot blot and confirmed by Northern blot analysis and by realtime PCR. Protein expression level of P-450(c11beta) was also investigated by immunohistochemical staining and confirmed by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relative expression level of P-450(c11beta) mRNA to beta-actin in APA, nodular hyperplasia and the normal adrenal gland group are 47 +/- 22%, 55 +/- 13%, 64 +/- 16% respectively by dot blot and are 94 +/- 18%, 101 +/- 20%, 112 +/- 62% respectively by Northern blot. These results are further confirmed by realtime PCR. This result was also supported by the relative protein expression level of P-450(c11beta) to beta-actin which are 118 +/- 15%, 107 +/- 32%, 108 +/- 22% respectively evaluated by Western blot. There was no significant difference in protein expression level of P-450(c11beta) among the normal adrenal gland tissues, APA and adrenal nodular hyperplasia tissue, either (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that P-450(c11beta) is not a key contributor to the overproduction of aldosterone in APA and nodular hyperplasia and can not be considered as a potential marker to differentiate between them in patients with primary aldosteronism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. fangy@health.missouri.edu
authors.forename: Yujiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xijun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Meifu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.forename: Songsen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Di
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013252:Steroid 11-beta-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013252:Steroid 11-beta-Hydroxylase