[Expression of Engrailed-2 and β-catenin in bladder urothelial carcinoma and their significance].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expressions of Engrailed-2 (EN2) and β-catenin in bladder urothelial carcinoma and explore their significance.


METHODS
Sixty bladder urothelial carcinoma samples of different grades and stages and 10 normal bladder mucosal tissues were examined for expressions of EN2 and β-catenin proteins and mRNA using immunochemistry, Western blotting and RT-PCR. RESULTS Compared to normal bladder mucosa, bladder urothelial carcinoma tissues showed significantly increased expressions of EN2 and β-catenin proteins (P<0.05), and the high-grade carcinoma tissues exhibited significantly stronger expressions than the low-grade ones (P<0.05); the expressions of the proteins increased also significantly with advanced pathological stages of bladder urothelial carcinoma (P<0.05). The expressions of EN2 and β-catenin mRNAs showed a consistent pattern of changes with their protein expressions.


CONCLUSIONS
The expressions of EN2 and β-catenin are significantly increased in bladder urothelial carcinoma. EN2 may contribute to the development and progression of bladder urothelial carcinoma by activating Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway.
Post-graduate School of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.E-mail: 6649212@qq.com.
Yunfei
Y
Li
Haitao
H
Liu
Xinghua
X
DU
Caiyong
C
Lai
Zexuan
Z
Su
Shuangquan
S
Gao
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099266:Engrailed 2 Protein
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; D000099266:Engrailed 2 Protein; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human