title: OCT-4 and DAZL expression in precancerous lesions of the human uterine cervix.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT-4) and deleted in azoospermia like (DAZL) are expressed among cells with human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) lesions and quantify their relative expression when compared with normal cervical cultures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cervical cells derived from normal cell cultures, HPV lesions and CIN lesions were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 20% amniotic fluid and 5 ng/mL basic fibroblast growth factor at 37°C and humidified 10% CO2 in air. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out using G6PD as a reference. We used REST for statistical analysis of real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Whereas DAZL was not expressed either in normal cultures or HPV and CIN lesions, OCT-4 was expressed in all examined cell lines. Moreover its relative expression was significantly upregulated among cultures of HPV-infected cells (RE, 11.003; 95%CI: 0.054-36 704.527, P = 0.042), an observation that was also close to statistical significance among cultures of CIN lesions (P = 0.066).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relative expression of OCT-4 is upregulated during the early, preinvasive stages of cervical carcinogenesis. Future studies should investigate its potential as a screening marker and as a possible target of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Stem Cells, Division of Reproductive Medicine, Alexandra Maternity Hospital, Athens, Greece; 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stefanidis
authors.forename: Vasileios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pergialiotis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Christakis
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patta
authors.forename: Diamanto
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stefanidi
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loutradis
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C101358:DAZL protein, human; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins
keywords: DAZL; OCT-4; cervical; cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; human papilloma virus; stemness