title: Expression and significance of twist and E-cadherin in ovarian cancer tissues.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of Twist and E-cadherin in ovarian cancer tissues as well as the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) in ovarian cancer metastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expressions of Twist and E-cadherin in 54 cases of ovarian cancer and paracancerous tissues were detected by Western blottin g and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We used RNA interference to silence Twist expression in human ovarian cancer cell line, and detected E-cadherin expression using Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an increase in the relative abundance of Twist proteins and a decrease in E-cadherin in ovarian cancer compared with normal ovary tissues (P < 0.05). The expression levels of Twist and E-cadherin mRNA were 1.49 ± 0.53 and 0.82 ± 0.24 in ovarian cancer, and 1.14 ± 0.38 and 1.08 ± 0.19 in paracancerous tissues, respectively. The difference between the indicators in ovarian cancer and in paracancerous tissues was statistically significant (P < 0.05). When the Twist expression was silenced in an ovarian cancer cell line, the expression of the E-cadherin protein increased (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of Twist is upregulated, whereas that of E-cadherin is downregulated in ovarian cancer. EMT, mediated by Twist, may be correlated with ovarian cancer metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Jinan, China. wsdoccn@yeah.net
authors.forename: Wen-Shuang
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shou-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xing-Sheng
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shu-De
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jian-Qing
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C103173:TWIST1 protein, human; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1