title: BBC3 is down-regulated with increased tumor size independently of p53 expression in head and neck cancer.
abstract: The study focuses on BBC3 gene expression in primary head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) in relation to pTNM classification. We used quantitative real-time PCR on 35 biopsy samples of HNSCC tumor samples to evaluate differences of BBC3 expression depending on tumor size, regional lymph node involvement, location and tumor staging. In order to confirm the model of BBC3-mediated apoptosis, we used immunohistochemistry to determine the expression of apoptotic proteins p53, p63, Bcl-2 and Bax. We also used publicly available cDNA microarray datasets. Our results show a general down-regulation of BBC3 in tumor tissue compared to adjacent normal tissue. The expression was significantly altered among different groups of patho-histologically evaluated tumor sizes, but not in relation to tumor location, regional lymph node involvement or tumor stage. That suggests the potential use of BBC3 as a new tumor size marker in HNSCC. Through protein expression analysis combined with publicly available cDNA microarray datasets of apoptotic factors, we confirmed the model of BBC3-mediated apoptosis, which can be activated with or without p53.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Mojca
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tajnik
authors.forename: Mojca
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stražišar
authors.forename: Metka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volavšek
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boštjančič
authors.forename: Damjan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Glavač
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C438378:BBC3 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53