RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer (CC) is a common malignancy in women worldwide. Cervical tumorigenesis involves a multistep process in which accumulations of genetic alterations are present. Homeotic genes, such as HOX gene re-expression, have been reported in a wide variety of tumors. METHODS: In order to know the role of HOX B4 gene expression in CC, in the present study, two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, and time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used for differential screening of protein expression in CC. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on the cervical tissue microarray (TMA) to detect the Hox B4 protein. RESULTS: Hox B4 peptide was detected among 15 increased spots differentially observed in CC. Using TMA, Hox B4 protein was also immunodetected in the nuclei of cervical epithelial tumor cells, while in normal cervical epithelium, it was absent. Interestingly, it was possible to detect the Hox B4 protein in the precursor lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Hox B4 protein is present in the precursor lesions as CC cells, suggesting that Hox B4 could be a protein related to the neoplastic state (non-differentiated cells) of human cervical epithelium.

Assuntos

Biomarcadores Tumorais/biossíntese , Biomarcadores Tumorais/genética , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/biossíntese , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/biossíntese , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/genética , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/metabolismo , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Eletroforese em Gel Bidimensional/métodos , Células Epiteliais/metabolismo , Células Epiteliais/patologia , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Genes Homeobox , Humanos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Proteoma/genética , Proteoma/metabolismo , Espectrometria de Massas por Ionização e Dessorção a Laser Assistida por Matriz/métodos , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/patologia