Caspase-3 and survivin expression in pediatric neuroblastoma and their roles in apoptosis.
- Author:
Jia-xiang WANG
1
;
Shu ZHENG
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Apoptosis; Caspase 3; Caspases; analysis; physiology; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; Male; Microtubule-Associated Proteins; analysis; physiology; Neoplasm Proteins; Neuroblastoma; chemistry; pathology
- From: Chinese Medical Journal 2004;117(12):1821-1824
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUNDNeuroblastoma, one of the common tumors in children, possesses the feature of natural regression that might be related to apoptosis caspase-3 and survivin are believed to respectively induce and inhibit apoptosis. We investigated the expression of caspase-3 and survivin in pediatric neuroblastoma and the role that these genes played in apoptosis.
METHODSThe expression of caspase-3 and survivin in pediatric neuroblastoma tissue samples was detected using in situ hybridization, ter mintuesal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), and immunohistochemical staining. The role that these genes played in apoptosis was then evaluated.
RESULTSA converse correlation was observed between the expression of survivin and caspase-3. When survivin was expressed at high levels in neuroblastoma samples, caspase-3 expression was downregulated, and the apoptotic index decreased simultaneously.
CONCLUSIONThere is a converse correlation between the expression of caspase-3 and the expression of survivin in neuroblastoma cells, indicating that caspase-3 might induce apoptosis, and survivin may inhibit this process.
