title: Reduced expression of ΔΝp63α in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As a member of the p53 family, p63 is considered to be an important differentiation regulation transcriptional factor, but the roles of p63 in many epithelial tumourigenesis and metastasis processes are still not clear. This study was designed to investigate the expression of p63 and its isoform in normal tissues and squamous cell cancer tissues of uterine cervix, and its significance in cancer cell differentiation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of p63 was assessed in cervical tissue and cell lines by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and Western Blotting. The relationships between p63 protein, various clinico-pathological features, and the differentiation marker involucrin were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ΔΝp63α is the predominant isoform expressed in cervical epithelial tissues, and it is decreased in moderately or poorly differentiated cervical squamous carcinoma, as well as in the HeLa, SiHa and C33A cervical cancer cell lines. The expression level of ΔΝp63α was positively correlated with that of involucrin in cervical squamous cancer tissue, and the expression of ΔΝp63α is decreased with the degree of tumour invasion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decrease of ΔΝp63α in cervical squamous cell cancer appears to be associated with the tumour progression, and ΔΝp63α may be a sensitive marker for cervical squamous cancer differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital A!liated with Shandong University, Shandong 250012, PR China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qianqian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Peishu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C115051:TP63 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins