title: ALEX1 may be a novel biomarker for human cervical squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: The armadillo repeat proteins were first found in armadillo gene of Drosophila. Since then a number of proteins containing armadillo repeats have been noticed and studied. These proteins that consist of 6 to 13 armadillo repeat domains are classified as family of armadillo repeat proteins. Recently, several studies indicated that armadillo repeat family of proteins play an important role in the tumorigenesis and maintenance of tissue integrity. ALEX1 (Arm protein lost in epithelial cancers, on chromosome X), contains two armadillo repeats domains, is expressed different in normal and carcinomas tissues. Several studies have found that ALEX1 protein lost in tumors that originated in epithelial tissues. We evaluated the ALEX1 protein expression in 53 cervical cancers and in 53 non-cancerous cervical tissues from patients and adjacent non-cancerous tissues using immunohistochemistry
  
  
  RESULTS
  ALEX1 protein expression is significantly increased in 53 cervical cancers tissues compared with non-cancerous tissues. We found, for the first time, that ALEX1 protein expression in cervical cancers tissues is higher than non-cancerous tissues. It is suggested that the ALEX1 protein is associated with tumorigenesis in cervical cancer and we speculate that the ALEX1 may plays a role as an oncogene in cervical cancer. Moreover, ALEX1 may serve as a novel potential diagnostic biomarker in identifying cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Kui
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jiayan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Haiyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Hantao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Geili
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China ; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Fangzhou
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051186:Armadillo Domain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C422103:ARMCX1 protein, human; D051186:Armadillo Domain Proteins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015513:Oncogene Proteins
keywords: ALEX1; Cervical cancer; armadillo repeat protein; immunohistochemistry