The expression of SFRP1, SFRP3, DVL1, and DVL2 proteins in testicular germ cell tumors.
Germ cell tumors of the testis are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms that affect male adolescents and young adults. Wnt signaling pathway components have been shown to be actively involved in normal and malignant germ cell differentiation and progression. In this study, we aimed to explore the expression patterns of the secreted frizzled-related protein (SFRP) and Disheveled protein family (DVL) in a subset of testicular germ cell tumors. Eighty-five formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples of the primary germ cell tumors of the testis were stained against SFRP1, SFRP3, DVL1, and DVL2 proteins using immunohistochemistry. SFRP1 and SFRP3 exhibited lower expression in both seminomas and mixed/non-seminomatous tumors, compared with atrophic/benign tissue (p < 0.001). SFRP3 expression was lower than SFRP1 expression within the seminoma group (p = 0.004), but not within the mixed/non-seminomatous group (p = 0.409). The majority of the tested cases (27/28, 96%) exhibited low DVL1 protein expression (median 0%, range 0-90%). In contrast, 20 out of 22 tested cases (91%) exhibited strong expression of DVL2 protein (median 80%, range 0-100%). No significant difference in DVL1 and DVL2 protein expression was observed between seminomas and mixed/non-seminomatous tumors (p = 0.68 and 0.29). The secreted frizzled-related protein and disheveled protein family members appear to be actively involved in the pathogenesis of primary testicular germ cell tumors.
Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Dora
D
Fabijanovic
Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Iris
I
Zunic
Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Tamara Nikuseva
TN
Martic
Department of Pathology, University Clinical Center Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Faruk
F
Skenderi
Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. sermanl@mef.hr.
Ljiljana
L
Serman
Department of Pathology, University Clinical Center Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.|School of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Semir
S
Vranic
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000072261:Dishevelled Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult; D000099274:Frizzled-Related Proteins; D000094742:Secreted Frizzled-Related Proteins
D000072261:Dishevelled Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000099274:Frizzled-Related Proteins; C000606578:DVL1 protein, human; C000606581:DVL2 protein, human; C117636:SFRP1 protein, human; D000094742:Secreted Frizzled-Related Proteins
Germ cell tumors; Wnt signaling pathway; disheveled family proteins; immunohistochemistry; secreted frizzled-related proteins; testis