Expression of protein kinase CK2 subunits in non-small-cell lung cancer tissues and its significance
10.3781/j.issn.1000-7431.2008.12.017
- Author:
Jie RUAN
1
Author Information
1. Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung;
Casein kinase II;
Immunohistochemistry
- From:
Tumor
2008;28(12):1090-1094
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective: Casein kinase II is also called protein kinase CK2. This study was to explore the mRNA expression and enzyme activity of CK2 alpha, alpha' and beta subunits in the tissues of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and investigate their correlations with clinicopathologic features of NSCLC. Methods: Immunohistochemical method (SP) was used to examine the expression of CK2 alpha, alpha' and beta subunits in paraffin-embedded speciments of 7 benign lesions, 35 primary lung carcinomas and matched pericancerous tissues. The mRNA expressions of CK2 subunits were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 4 benign lesions, 10 primary lung carcinomas and matched peritumor tissues and the activity of CK2 was measured by using isotope incorporation assay. Results: The positive rates of CK2 alpha and beta subunits (62.9% and 57.1%) were significantly higher in NSCLC tissues than those in matched adjacent noncancerous tissues (11.4% and 25.7%, P <0.05) and benign lesions tissues (28.6% and 42.9%, P >0.05). The positive rate of CK2 alpha' subunit (65.7%) was higher in NSCLC tissues than that in matched adjacent noncancerous tissues and benign lesions tissues (42.9% and 42.9%, P >0.05). The expression levels of CK2 subunits had no correlation with gender, age, and pathologic stage (TNM) of the patients (P >0.05). The expression level of CK2 alpha' subunit was not related with cell differentiation and histological classification; the expression level of CK2 alpha subunit was associated with cell differentiation (r = 0.388, P <0.05) but not related with histological classification. The positive rate of CK2 alpha subunit was significantly higher in poorly differentiated group than that in moderately differentiated and well-differentiated groups (P <0.05). The positive rate of CK2 beta subunit was significantly higher in squamous cell carcinoma than that in adenocarcinoma (P <0.05) but it was not related with the degree of cell differentiation. The expression level of CK2 beta subunit positively correlated with that of CK2 alpha or alpha' subunit in NSCLC (r = 0.439, P <0.05; r = 0.45, P <0.05). The mRNA expression levels of the three CK2 subunits were higher in lung tumors compared with the corresponding pericancerous lung tissues and non-tumor benigh lesions tissues. The average activity of CK2 in the lung carcinomas was 5.4-fold higher than that in matched adjacent noncancerous tissues and 3.6-fold higher than that in benign lesion tissues. Conclusion: Protein kinase CK2 subunits are highly expressed in NSCLC and their overexpression have correlation with the tumorigenesis and development of NSCLC. As a biological marker, CK2 alpha or beta subunit may be better than CK2 alpha′.
