title: CXCL12/CXCR4 axis induces proliferation and invasion in human endometrial cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Since that we have previously found CXCL12/CXCR4, an important biological axis is highly transcribed in several cancer cells. We aim to investigate whether CXCL12/CXCR4 axis regulates critical processes in neoplastic transformation that affects endometrial cancer cell biology.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression levels of CXCR4 were analyzed in human normal endometrial tissue, simple hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia and endometrial cancer cells by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum CXCL12 was measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) in Ishikawa endometrial cancer cell line. To study the biological function of CXCL12/CXCR4 in endometrial cancer, short interfering RNA silencing of CXCR4 was established to analyze the roles of CXCL12/CXCR4 in proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of Ishikawa cells in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression level of CXCR4 in endometrial cancer tissue was higher as compared to atypical hyperplasia, simple hyperplasia and normal cycling endometrium cells. Ishikawa cells secreted CXCL12 spontaneously and continuously for 96 hrs in culture. The proliferation, migration and invasion of Ishikawa cells was significantly induced, and the apoptosis was significantly reduced by CXCL12 in combination with CXCR4. Moreover, CXCR4 silencing could significantly antagonize all these functions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CXCL12/CXCR4 axis plays an important role in the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of endometrial cancer, indicating that CXCR4 could be the target for the treatment of endometrial cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Pingping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Fengyi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao 266003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhenyan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: CXCL12; CXCR4; apoptosis; endometrial cancer; invasion; proliferation