Background: p120(ctn) plays an important role in cell adhesion and has a significant association with tumorigenesis. To investigate the expression of p120(ctn) (p120 cateinin) isoforms in lung squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas, and analyze the correlation between p120(ctn) and clinicopathological parameters.
Methods: The expression patterns of p120(ctn) in lung cancer tissues and the corresponding normal lung tissues were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, and Western blot were used to investigate the expression of p120(ctn) isoforms in lung cancer cell lines BE1 and LH7.
Results: Compared with corresponding normal lung tissues, lung cancer tissues have significantly lower levels of total mRNA, isoform1 and 3 mRNA (P <0.001, P <0.001, P =0.001). Furthermore, reduction of p120(ctn) isoform 1 mRNA is negatively associated-whereas p120(ctn) isoform 3 is positively associated-with lymphatic metastasis (P =0.01, P =0.029). BE1 cells with 94% metastatic frequency has lower levels of p120(ctn) isoforms than LH7 cells with low metastatic potential.
Conclusions: Reductions of p120(ctn) isoform 1 and 3 mRNA is a common phenomenon in lung cancer tissues and may play a role in metastasis progression of human lung cancer.