title: Down-regulated expression of Notch signaling molecules in human endometrial cancer.
abstract: Notch signaling pathway is a highly conserved developmental pathway, which plays an important role in the regulation of cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Deregulation of Notch pathway has been connected with the carcinogenesis in a variety of cancers. In this study, we investigated the expression of Notch receptors (NOTCH1, NOTCH2, NOTCH3 and NOTCH4), ligands (JAG1, JAG2 and DLL1) and target gene HES1. Fifty paired samples of endometrial cancer and adjacent nontumor endometrial tissue from endometrial cancer patients were analyzed by quantitative PCR. The mRNA levels of all investigated molecules were lower in endometrial cancer compared to adjacent nontumor tissue. The expression of NOTCH1, NOTCH4 and DLL1 in IB stage adenocarcinoma was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than the expression in IA stage adenocarcinoma. Significant correlations were found between mRNA expression levels of Notch target gene HES1 and several Notch signaling molecules: NOTCH1, NOTCH3, DLL1 (P < 0.001) and NOTCH2, JAG2 (P < 0.05). This supports the notion that Notch pathway can function as tumor suppressor in human endometrial cancer.
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania. violeta.jonusiene@gf.vu.lt
authors: Violeta
authors: V
authors: Jonusiene
authors: Ausra
authors: A
authors: Sasnauskiene
authors: Nadezda
authors: N
authors: Lachej
authors: Daiva
authors: D
authors: Kanopiene
authors: Daiva
authors: D
authors: Dabkeviciene
authors: Sofija
authors: S
authors: Sasnauskiene
authors: Birute
authors: B
authors: Kazbariene
authors: Janina
authors: J
authors: Didziapetriene
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051880:Receptors, Notch