title: Clinicopathologic significances of nuclear expression of nuclear factor-κB transcription factors in retinoblastoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factors family is thought to play an important role in the development of certain cancers. In this study, the clinical significance of NF-κB transcription factor expression and the MIB-1 labelling index (MIB-1 LI) were studied in retinoblastoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical analysis of normal retina (n=6) and retinoblastoma tumour (n=62) specimens obtained from multiple centres was performed in order to evaluate the pathological associations of NF-κB subunits and retinoblastoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of NF-κB proteins was frequently detected in retinoblastoma but not in normal retina samples with c-Rel being the most commonly detected (61%). This protein was more frequently detected in poorly-differentiated and invasive tumours than in well-differentiated and non-invasive tumours. RelA expression in invasive tumours was also significantly higher. Furthermore, expression of c-Rel correlated positively with the MIB-1 LI in retinoblastoma, and RelA/c-Rel revealed positive correlation with RelA/RelB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that expression of RelA and c-Rel proteins represents a reliable prognostic marker of retinoblastoma and that NF-κB is related to retinoblastoma tumorigenesis and progression through a non-conventional pathway. This data suggests that therapeutic strategies targeting NF-κB combined with other therapies may represent a novel approach to retinoblastoma therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China. drquyi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wenbin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D020569:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel / Q000378:metabolism; D019572:Retinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016328:NF-kappa B; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D020569:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel; C513496:MIB1 ligase, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases