No abstract available.
Cell Adhesion Molecules ; Laminin

Humans ; Laminin ; Pulmonary Fibrosis

Laminin subunit alpha 4 (LAMA4),a member of the laminin family,is present in the intercellular matrix of adult tissues as a major component of basement membrane.LAMA4 is involved in the adhesion of cells and can bind to corresponding integrins to activate relevant signaling pathways,playing an essential role in the growth,proliferation,and migration of cells.It has been demonstrated that LAMA4 is associated with the occurrence and development of a variety of diseases including tumors,and the expression of LAMA4 can be used as a biomarker of tumor diagnosis and prognosis.This paper summarizes the current research progress in LAMA4 with the focus on the relationship between LAMA4 and diseases,especially tumor,with a view to provide new directions for the future research.
Adult ; Humans ; Laminin ; Extracellular Matrix

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Collagen Type IV* ; Female ; Laminin*

No abstract available.
Basement Membrane ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Laminin* ; Membranes* ; Urinary Bladder*

Keratoacanthoma (KA) is a rapidly growing cutaneous tumor and is difficult to distinguish from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) on histomorphology alone. In the present study, we compared the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical findings using antibodies for p21 (WAF-1/CIP1), p53, laminin, and Ki-67 proteins in 27 cases of KA and 31 cases of well differentiated SCC. KA was characterized by occurrence in sun-exposed skin, shorter duration, and smaller size. Expression of p21 protein was increased according to the maturation and involution of KA, but there was no statistical significance. Expression of Ki-67 was decreased in the involutional stage of KA than in SCC (p<0.05). But p53 protein and Ki-67 were expressed in the cells at the periphery of both KA and SCC. The immunoexpression pattern of p53 and Ki-67 suggests that proliferative activities of the two lesions are similar. Laminin was present in the infiltrative cell nests of fully developed and involutional stages of KA, and it may be related to the healing process of KA. In conclusion, it is suggested that the degree of proliferative activity in the proliferative and fully developed stages of KA is similar to that of SCC and that p21 gene expression represents the differentiation property of KA and may be associated with its regression.
Antibodies ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Gene Expression ; Keratoacanthoma* ; Laminin ; Skin

Primary merosin (laminin alpha2 chain)-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) is a uncommon and severe form of CMD, which is caused by the mutations in the laminin alpha2 chain gene. It is an autosomal recessively inherited form of muscular dystrophy that is associated with severe neonatal hypotonia, a high serum creatine kinase level, and abnormal brain imaging without intellectual dysfunction. We report a case of merosin-deficient CMD confirmed by the immunocytochemical analysis of the frozen muscle biopsy. This is the first case of merosin-deficient CMD in Korea.
Biopsy ; Creatine Kinase ; Korea ; Laminin* ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Muscular Dystrophies* ; Neuroimaging

Collagen ; Drug Combinations ; Durapatite ; Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Laminin ; Proteoglycans

The change in serum laminin (LN) level and its clinical significance in epithelial ovarian tumor were investigated. The LN levels in serum and ascites samples from 69 patients with epithelial ovarian tumor and 42 cases as control group before and after operation were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that the serum LN levels in the patients with malignant tumors (157.85 +/- 14.37 ng/ml) were significantly higher than that in the control group (125.14 +/- 7.03 ng/ml) and in the patients with benign tumors (128.36 +/- 8.75 ng/ml) (both P < 0.01) before operation. The serum LN levels in the malignant group were decreased significantly after operation as compared with those before operation (P < 0.05). The serum LN levels in low-differentiated tumors was higher than those in moderate-differentiated tumors and high-differentiated tumors (P < 0.05). The LN levels in ascites (172.94 +/- 15.26 ng/ml) was significantly higher than in serum (161.34 +/- 6.59 ng/ml) (P < 0.05) in malignant tumors. The serum LN levels in the patients with lymph node metastasis (165.41 +/- 19.91 ng/ml) was obviously higher than those without lymph node metastasis (152.35 +/- 10.34 ng/ml) (P < 0.05). It was concluded that LN levels in serum and acistis were remarkably increased in malignant epithelial ovarian tumors, suggesting that LN might be one of important diameters reflecting tumor biological characteristics.
Ascitic Fluid/*metabolism ; Carcinoma/blood ; Carcinoma/metabolism ; Laminin/*blood ; Laminin/metabolism ; Ovarian Neoplasms/*metabolism ; Tumor Markers, Biological/*blood ; Tumor Markers, Biological/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the role of integrin alpha 6 in cell attachment, spread, survival/proliferation and differentiation of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) BEL-7402 cells on various substrates by monoclonal antibody against the extracellular domain of alpha 6 subunit (IA6ED McAb).

METHODSThe effect of McAb on attachment and spread of BEL-7402 cells on LN or FN substrate was examined. MTT analysis was used to examine the cell survival/proliferation, gelatin zymography to the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) secreted by BEL-7402 cells, and microparticle immunoabsorbent kit to AFP secretion while the cells were cultured on LN-, FN- or Matrigel-coated substrates.

RESULTSThe cell attachment, spread and survival/proliferation were inhibited. Moreover importantly, the malignant cell dedifferentiation and abnormal differentiation on LN-coated substrate were also strongly inhibited by IA6ED McAb.

CONCLUSIONLN and integrin alpha 6 regulate human HCC cell phenotypes of survival/proliferation and differentiation. The phenotypes of dedifferentiation and abnormal differentiation can be reversed by blocking the interaction between integrin alpha 6 and LN using IA6ED McAb, which may lower metastatic potency of tumor cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal ; pharmacology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; pathology ; Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Humans ; Integrin alpha6 ; immunology ; physiology ; Laminin ; physiology ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; Phenotype ; Receptors, Laminin ; physiology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured