title: [Distribution of HoxA13 in the prepuce and urethral plate in different types of hypospadias and its implication].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of the HoxA13 gene from the HOX family in the development of hypospadias by detecting the transcription and expression of HoxA13 in the prepuce and urethral plate of hypospadias patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected the tissues from the prepuce and urethral plate of 30 hypospadias patients aged 3.3 - 11.6 years, the prepuce of 10 phimosis children aged 3.1 - 10.4 years and the urethra of 10 penile carcinoma patients aged 48.1 - 75.6 years with no urethral involvement, the latter 20 taken as controls. We divided the tissue samples into a distal, an intermedial, a proximal and a control group, and detected the expressions of HoxA13 mRNA and protein in different groups by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RT-PCR showed that the HoxA13 mRNA expressions in the prepuce and urethral plate were significantly higher in the control group (1.409 +/- 0.441 and 1.270 +/- 0.209) than in the intermedial (0.848 +/- 0.338 and 0.684 +/- 0.228) and proximal group (0.497 +/- 0.218 and 0.464 +/- 0.164) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and so were they in the distal (1.071 +/- 0.342 and 1.054 +/- 0.189) than in the proximal group (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry revealed that the HoxA13 protein expressions in the prepuce and urethral plate were remarkably higher in the control group (12 050 +/- 4 112 and 13 420 +/- 2 636) than in the intermedial (5 217 +/- 1 993 and 5 238 +/- 3 065) and proximal group (2 095 +/- 1 591 and 2 238 +/- 2 217) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and so were they in the distal (8 223 +/- 3 212 and 10 450 +/- 2 123) than in the proximal group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The transcription and expression of HoxA13 in the prepuce and urethral plate of hypospadias patients are closely related with the abnormal position of the urethral meatus, and their abnormal expressions may affect the development and formation of the urethra.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China. wangchanghuihao@163.com
authors.forename: Chang-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
authors.forename: Xian-Zhen
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
authors.forename: Le-Ye
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D052816:Foreskin / Q000378:metabolism*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007021:Hypospadias / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014521:Urethra / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C099959:homeobox protein HOXA13