Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 2 (TRPV2) expression in normal urothelium and in urothelial carcinoma of human bladder: correlation with the pathologic stage

Eur Urol. 2008 Sep;54(3):612-20. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2007.10.016. Epub 2007 Oct 16.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 2 (TRPV2) in normal human bladder and urothelial carcinoma (UC) tissues.

Methods: Bladder specimens were obtained by transurethral resection or radical cystectomy. TRPV2 mRNA expression in normal human urothelial cells (NHUCs), UC cell lines, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded normal (n=6) and cancer bladder tissues (n=58) was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR). TRPV2 protein expression was assessed by cytofluorimetric and confocal microscopy analyses in NHUCs and UC cells and by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry in normal and UC tissues.

Results: Enhanced TRPV2 mRNA and protein expression was found in high-grade and -stage UC specimens and UC cell lines. Both the full-length TRPV2 (hTRPV2) and a short splice-variant (s-TRPV2) were detected in NHUC and normal bladder specimens, whereas a progressive decline of s-TRPV2 in pTa, pT1, and pT2 stages was observed, up to a complete loss in pT3 and pT4 UC specimens.

Conclusions: Normal human urothelial cells and bladder tissue specimens express TRPV2 at both the mRNA and protein levels. A progressive loss of s-TRPV2 accompanied by a marked increase of hTRPV2 expression was found in high-grade and -stage UC tissues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / pathology*
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • TRPV Cation Channels / metabolism*
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Urothelium / metabolism*
  • Urothelium / pathology*

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • TRPV Cation Channels
  • TRPV2 protein, human