title: Expression of αB-crystallin and vascular endothelial growth factor in conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the expression of αB-crystallin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven CSCCs and three normal conjunctivas that were surgically excised were studied. Paraformaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were processed for immunohistochemistry with antibodies against αB-crystallin, its phosphorylated forms, and VEGF. In vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of mitomycin C (MMC) treatment on the expression of αB-crystallin and VEGF secretion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  αB-Crystallin and VEGF were strongly expressed in CSCCs compared to normal conjunctivas. αB-Crystallin immunoreactivity was co-localized with that for VEGF in CSCCs, whereas these signals were reduced in CSCC tissues treated with MMC before excision. MMC treatment suppressed the αB-crystallin expression and VEGF secretion in cultured conjunctival cells in a dose-dependent manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated αB-crystallin and VEGF expressions in human CSCCs, which may play a role in the pathogenesis. αB-Crystallin expression, and VEGF secretion were reduced by MMC, indicating a novel therapeutic mechanism in MMC treatment for human CSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, N7, W15, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8638, Japan. kaseron@med.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kase
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fukuhara
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takashina
authors.forename: Atsuhiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Kousuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D003459:Crystallins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010766:Phosphorylation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003459:Crystallins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma; vascular endothelial growth factor; αB-Crystallin