title: Differential Expression of Aquaporins in Cervical Precursor Lesions and Invasive Cervical Cancer.
abstract: Aquaporins (AQPs) are highly expressed in tumor cells of different origins, particularly the aggressive tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of AQP isoforms during progression of squamous cervical cancer (SCC) and explore their associations with clinicopathologic variables of SCC.
  
  
  
  Expression of AQP isoforms (1, 3, 4, 5, and 8) was detected by immunohistochemistry in 47 SCCs, 37 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 16 normal cervical tissues. Specific expression of AQP protein in SCC was detected by Western blot. Double immunohistochemistry was used to examine whether AQPs and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are coexpressed in SCC.
  
  
  
  Aquaporin 1 showed higher positivity rate in CIN than in SCC and normal cervical tissues (P < .05). The expression intensity of AQP3, 4, 5, and 8 was higher in SCC than that in normal cervical tissues, respectively (P < .05). The expression of AQP3 and 8 was higher in SCC than that in CIN, respectively (P < .05). The AQP4 expression was higher in CIN than in normal cervical tissues (P < .05). The expression of AQP3 in CIN III was higher than that in CIN I and II (P < .05). There was a significant increase in the expression of AQP1 in stage I than that in stage II (P < .05). Aquaporin 3 showed lower positivity in moderately and well-differentiated tumors compared to that in poorly differentiated tumors (P < .05). Finally, double immunohistochemistry illustrated that AQP1/AQP3/AQP8 and VEGF were coexpressed in SCC.
  
  
  
  Different AQP isoforms display specific expression patterns in normal cervical, CIN, and SCC tissues. This and the significant association with the clinicopathologic variables of SCC suggest that AQP isoforms might play different roles in the development of cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Chuchu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Huihui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Wenxiao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China zjwzzxq@163.com.
authors.forename: Xueqiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051398:Aquaporin 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051400:Aquaporin 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D051402:Aquaporin 5 / Q000378:metabolism; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C496020:AQP1 protein, human; C496027:AQP3 protein, human; C496030:AQP4 protein, human; C496036:AQP5 protein, human; D051401:Aquaporin 4; D051402:Aquaporin 5; D020346:Aquaporins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C108330:aquaporin 8; D051398:Aquaporin 1; D051400:Aquaporin 3
keywords: aquaporins; cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; squamous cervical cancer