open access

Vol 46, No 2 (2008)
Original paper
Submitted: 2011-12-19
Published online: 2008-06-04
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Expression of connexin 26 in endometrial adenocarcinoma--analysis of correlations with some anatomoclinical features.

Tomasz Lesniewicz, Luiza Kanczuga-Koda, Marek Baltaziak, Mariola Sulkowska, Ryszard Rutkowski, Mariusz Koda, Stanislaw Sulkowski
DOI: 10.2478/v10042-008-0026-3
·
Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2008;46(2):171-176.

open access

Vol 46, No 2 (2008)
ORIGINAL PAPERS
Submitted: 2011-12-19
Published online: 2008-06-04

Abstract

Alterations of gap junctional intercellular communication appear to play a role in the development and progression of cancer. Gap junction channel is composed of two connexons - hexameric units formed of transmembrane proteins called connexins (Cxs). The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression and localization of Cx26 in 73 cases of endometrial cancers and to estimate the relationships between expression of this protein and selected anatomoclinical features. The control group consisted of 20 sections of normal endometrium in various menstrual cycle phases, obtained from premenopausal women. In the normal endometrium punctate, membrane-associated immunoreactivity for Cx26 was observed. 54 of 73 endometrial cancers showed Cx26 expression, but 46/54 (85%) immunopositive sections revealed cytoplasmic localization for Cx26 with granular or occasionally diffuse immunostaining pattern. In addition, part of Cx26-positive tumours showed mixed: cytoplasmic and membranous staining pattern and focally also nuclear or perinuclear immunostaining was present. In 21/54 (39%) of Cx26-positive cases weak staining pattern was seen, however in 33/54 (61%) cancers strong reaction was noted. We did not find relationship between Cx26 expression and patients' age, histological type of cancer and histological grade, nevertheless we observed positive association between Cx26 expression and tumour size (p=0.037). In conclusion, our results suggest that transformed malignant cells continue to produce Cx26, which are probably not assembled into functional gap junction channels, but could still play other roles in endometrial cancer cells.

Abstract

Alterations of gap junctional intercellular communication appear to play a role in the development and progression of cancer. Gap junction channel is composed of two connexons - hexameric units formed of transmembrane proteins called connexins (Cxs). The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression and localization of Cx26 in 73 cases of endometrial cancers and to estimate the relationships between expression of this protein and selected anatomoclinical features. The control group consisted of 20 sections of normal endometrium in various menstrual cycle phases, obtained from premenopausal women. In the normal endometrium punctate, membrane-associated immunoreactivity for Cx26 was observed. 54 of 73 endometrial cancers showed Cx26 expression, but 46/54 (85%) immunopositive sections revealed cytoplasmic localization for Cx26 with granular or occasionally diffuse immunostaining pattern. In addition, part of Cx26-positive tumours showed mixed: cytoplasmic and membranous staining pattern and focally also nuclear or perinuclear immunostaining was present. In 21/54 (39%) of Cx26-positive cases weak staining pattern was seen, however in 33/54 (61%) cancers strong reaction was noted. We did not find relationship between Cx26 expression and patients' age, histological type of cancer and histological grade, nevertheless we observed positive association between Cx26 expression and tumour size (p=0.037). In conclusion, our results suggest that transformed malignant cells continue to produce Cx26, which are probably not assembled into functional gap junction channels, but could still play other roles in endometrial cancer cells.
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About this article
Title

Expression of connexin 26 in endometrial adenocarcinoma--analysis of correlations with some anatomoclinical features.

Journal

Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica

Issue

Vol 46, No 2 (2008)

Article type

Original paper

Pages

171-176

Published online

2008-06-04

Page views

2132

Article views/downloads

1583

DOI

10.2478/v10042-008-0026-3

Bibliographic record

Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2008;46(2):171-176.

Authors

Tomasz Lesniewicz
Luiza Kanczuga-Koda
Marek Baltaziak
Mariola Sulkowska
Ryszard Rutkowski
Mariusz Koda
Stanislaw Sulkowski

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