BACKGROUND: Although basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common human skin tumor, with calcification reportedly taking place in about 20% of all BCC cases, the pathogenesis of calcification in BCC has not yet been studied. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors related to the pathogenesis of calcification in BCC. METHODS: We performed immunohistochemical staining for beta-catenin, frizzled-2, BMP-4, osteopontin, osteocalcin, and osteonectin using frozen skin tissue from 15 cases of BCC with calcification and 11 cases of BCC without calcification. RESULTS: The expression of beta-catenin showed positive in 14 of the 15 cases in BCC with calcification, but negative in all 11 cases of BCC without calcification. The expression of frizzled-2 was observed in 14 of the 15 cases in BCC with calcification, and in 10 of the 11 cases in BCC without calcification. The difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.236). The expression of BMP-4 was observed in all 26 samples of BCC, but the intensity of expression did not reach statistical significance between the two groups (p=0.293). Furthermore, osteopontin and osteocalcin showed no statistical significance between two the groups (p=0.567, p=0.401). The expression of osteonectin was observed in all of the BCC cases, and was stronger in BCC with calcification than in BCC without calcification (p=0.042). CONCLUSION: We suggest that the calcification in BCC might be related to the increase of beta-catenin expression and that osteonectin might also influence the process of calcification in BCC.
beta Catenin* ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Humans ; Osteocalcin* ; Osteonectin* ; Osteopontin* ; Skin

PURPOSE: Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), also known as osteonectin or basement-membrane-40 (BM-40), is a member of a family of matricellular proteins, whose functions are to modulate cell-matrix interactions, growth and angiogenesis in colorectal cancer. In this study, the expression of SPARC was evaluated and its correlations with clinicopathological parameters were investigated. METHODS: The researchers analyzed the expression patterns of SPARC by using immunohistochemistry in 332 cases of colorectal cancer of tissue microarray. The clinicopathological characteristics were defined by using the TNM criteria of the Union for International Cancer Control. Clinicopathological factors such as age, sex, histologic type of the tumor, pathologic tumor stage, TNM stage, and lymphovascular invasion were evaluated according to the SPARC expression. RESULTS: The hazard ratios expressing SPARC in tumor cells, in the stroma, and in both tumor cells and the stroma were 2.10 (P = 0.036), 3.27 (P = 0.003) and 2.12 (P = 0.038), respectively. Patient survival was decreased in patient expressing SPARC in the stroma, and this result showed statistical significance (P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that SPARC expression in a tumor and in the stroma correlates with disease progression and may be used as a prognostic marker for colorectal cancer.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Cysteine ; Disease Progression ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Osteonectin ; Prognosis ; Proteins

PURPOSE: Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), also known as osteonectin or basement-membrane-40 (BM-40), is a member of a family of matricellular proteins, whose functions are to modulate cell-matrix interactions, growth and angiogenesis in colorectal cancer. In this study, the expression of SPARC was evaluated and its correlations with clinicopathological parameters were investigated. METHODS: The researchers analyzed the expression patterns of SPARC by using immunohistochemistry in 332 cases of colorectal cancer of tissue microarray. The clinicopathological characteristics were defined by using the TNM criteria of the Union for International Cancer Control. Clinicopathological factors such as age, sex, histologic type of the tumor, pathologic tumor stage, TNM stage, and lymphovascular invasion were evaluated according to the SPARC expression. RESULTS: The hazard ratios expressing SPARC in tumor cells, in the stroma, and in both tumor cells and the stroma were 2.10 (P = 0.036), 3.27 (P = 0.003) and 2.12 (P = 0.038), respectively. Patient survival was decreased in patient expressing SPARC in the stroma, and this result showed statistical significance (P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that SPARC expression in a tumor and in the stroma correlates with disease progression and may be used as a prognostic marker for colorectal cancer.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Cysteine ; Disease Progression ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Osteonectin ; Prognosis ; Proteins

Distraction osteogenesis(DO) is a technique of lengthning bone including soft tissue by gradual separation of surgically divided bone surfaces. Distraction osteogenesis combination with a compression stimulation(DO-CO) was a new technique by authors to enhance new bone quality and to shorten the consolidation period. The purpose of this study was to compare DO with DO combined with compression force in efficiency by evaluating the expression of TGF-beta 1, osteonectin and BMP-4 on bone regenerate in rabbit mandible. Fourty two rabbits were used for this experiment. On the control group, the distraction was carried out at the rate of 1 mm per day to obtain the amount of 8 mm distraction for 8 days. On the experimental group, the distraction was carried out at the rate of 1 mm per day for 10 days, 3 days-latency period, and then the compression was carried out as counter direction 1 mm per day for 2 days. After 0 day, 5 days, 13 days, 20 days, 27 days, 34 days and 41 days, three rabbits on each group were sacrificed and the distracted portion of mandible were cut and treated for RT-PCR observation. The level of expression of TGF-beta 1 and osteonectin were shown more and longer expression in the experimental group than in the control group. The expression of BMP-4 was maintained with high level during the entire experimental period in both groups. These findings suggested that DO with compression stimulation could be a favorable technique for obtaining a good new bone quality.
Bone Regeneration* ; Mandible ; Osteogenesis, Distraction* ; Osteonectin* ; Rabbits ; Transforming Growth Factor beta*

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of estrogen deficiency on pulpodentinal complex of tooth in ovariectomized rats. Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats, 10 weeks old, were used. Rats were grouped into two groups. One group (n = 15) was subjected to sham surgery (SHAM) and the other group (n = 15) was ovariectomized bilaterally (OVX). Animals were sacrificed 12 weeks later, and their mandibular molars and associated periodontal supporting tissues were dissected out, and fixed in 10% buffered formalin. For comparison of groups, immunostained for osteonectin. Histomorphometrical measurement of change of teeth was performed using an image analysis system and paired t-test was used and the level of significance for overall differences was set at p < 0.05. In immunostaining of osteonectin, they were significantly different from each other. The predentin thickness in OVX rats was wider than in SHAM rats. And in SHAM rats, osteonectin was more specifically stained in predentin areas than in OVX rats. These results indicate that estrogen deficiency increased the unmineralized predentin areas and decreased osteonectin content in pulpal tissues in rats. If our result is applicable to human studies, odotoblast is affected by estrogen deficiency.
Animals ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Molar ; Osteonectin ; Ovariectomy ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tooth

Distraction osteogenesis has been thought to be promising technique for replacing bone graft in maxilla and mandible. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of osteonectin on distraction osteogenesis. Sixteen rabbits were used for this experiment. Osteotomy was performed between premolar and mental foramen. On the experimental group, distraction device was connected to the respective bone segments. On the control group, bone segments were fixed using plate and screws after osteotomy. Distraction was carried out at the rate of 0.7mm per day to obtain a 4.9mm elongation on the experimental group. After 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days two rabbits of each group were sacrificed. The results obtained from this study were as follow : Experimental group was observed that the gaps between the distracted bone edges were occupied by new bone. Expression of Osteonectin were detected throughout the experiment in both groups and Expression of Osteonectin were markedly increased during distraction and consolidation period in experimental group than control group. From these results, it could be stated that distraction was shown to improve and accelerate bone formation and mechanical stress like distraction has considerable effects on osteonectin.
Bicuspid ; Mandible* ; Maxilla ; Osteogenesis ; Osteogenesis, Distraction* ; Osteonectin* ; Osteotomy ; Rabbits ; Stress, Mechanical ; Transplants

PURPOSE: To characterize the effects of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) and quercetin (QCT) on gene expression of osteonectin (ON) and osteopontin (OP) in irradiated MC3T3-E1 cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: When MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells had reached 70-80% confluence, cultures were transferred to a differentiating medium supplemented with 5 mM 2-DG or 10 micrometer QCT and then irradiated with 2, 4, 6, and 8 Gy. At various times after irradiation, the cells were analyzed for the expression of bone mineralization genes such as ON and OP. RESULTS: The mRNA expression of both ON and OP was increased according to the culture time in the differentiation medium, and the increase of the genes peaked at 14 days after the differentiation induction. In the case of OP, the increase of mRNA expression was maintained to 28 days after the differentiation, while the mRNA level of ON was reduced to the basal level at the same time. Irradiation adding 2-DG showed a significant peak value in the expression pattern of ON at 4 Gy 7 days after irradiation. Irradiation adding QCT increased the mRNA expression of ON and OP in a dose-dependant manner, but irradiation adding 2-DG did not show any differences between the control and experiments 14 days after irradiation. Irradiation adding QCT increased significantly the expression patterns of ON 21 days after irradiation. CONCLUSION: The results showed that QCT acted as a radiosensitizer in the gene expression of ON and OP during differentiation of the late stage of irradiated MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells in vitro.
Calcification, Physiologic ; Deoxyglucose ; Gene Expression ; Osteoblasts ; Osteonectin ; Osteopontin ; Quercetin ; RNA, Messenger

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of irradiation on the phenotypic expression of the MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cell line, especially on the osteonectin and bone sialoprotein. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cells were irradiated with a single dose of 0.5, 1, 4 and 8 Gy at a dose rate of 5.38 Gy/min using Cs-137 irradiator. After specimens were harvested, total RNA was extracted on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st day after irradiation. The total RNA was reverse-transcribed and the resulting cDNAs were subjected to amplification by PCR with a pair of primers. RESULTS: The irradiated cells showed a dose-dependent increase in osteonectin mRNA expression when compared with the unirradiated control group. The irradiated cells showed no difference in bone sialoprotein mRNA expression when compared with the unirradiated control group. In accordance with the duration of culture period after irradiation, the level of osteonectin mRNA expression showed no difference, but it increased a little at the 21st day in the 4 and 8 Gy exposure groups. In the case of bone sialoprotein, however, the level of mRNA expression increased significantly at the 3rd and 7th day after irradiation, but it showed no difference at the 14th and 21st day when compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: These results showed that each single dose of 0.5, 1, 4 and 8 Gy influenced the mRNA expression of osteonectin and bone sialoprotein at the calcification stage of osteoblastic cells, suggesting that single dose of irradiation affected the osteoblastic bone formation at the cell level.
Cell Line* ; DNA, Complementary ; Integrin-Binding Sialoprotein* ; Osteoblasts* ; Osteogenesis ; Osteonectin* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger*

Endothelin-3 (ET-3) is aberrantly expressed in both metastatic melanoma tissues and cultured melanoma cells. Our previous work showed that ET-3 could promote survival of metastatic melanoma cells via its altered expression. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms responsible for these gene-induced phenotypes in melanoma cells. An ET-3 gene sequence-specific shRNA vector pLVTHM-ET3-RNAi was constructed and transfected into human malignant melanoma cells A375 and MMRU, and the resultant molecular events and cellular changes were examined. As compared with the empty-vector group, cell proliferation was slowed down, and the growth inhibition rates were 38.9% in A375 cells and 38.4% in MMRU cells after transfection. In addition, cell invasion capability was also inhibited, with a reduction of 62.2% in A375 cells and 54.3% in MMRU cells. The percentage of apoptotic cells was found to increase. Meanwhile, in both cell lines, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) levels were down-regulated together with inhibition of its upstream signaling molecule, NF-κB. Thus, the current results suggested that down-regulated expression of ET3 attenuates the malignant behaviors of human melanoma cells partially by decreasing the expression of SPARC and NF-κB.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Endothelin-3 ; genetics ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Melanoma ; genetics ; pathology ; Osteonectin ; genetics

Tooth development involves bud, cap, bell and hard tissue formation stages, each of which is tightly controlled by regulatory molecules. The aim of this study was to identify genes that are differentially expressed during dental hard tissue differentiation. Sprague-Dawley rats at postnatal days 3, 6 and 9 were used in the analysis. Differential display RT-PCR (DD-PCR) was used to screen differentially expressed genes between the 2nd (root formation stage, during mineralization) and 3rd (cap stage, before mineralization) molar germs at postnatal day 9. The DNA detected in the 2nd molar germs showed homology to osteonectin only (GenBank accession no. NM_012656.1). The level of osteonectin mRNA expression was much higher in the 2nd molar germs than in the 3rd molar germs and was found to increase in a time-dependent manner from the early bell stage to the root formation stage in the 2nd molar germs. The pattern of osteonectin protein expression was consistent with these RT-PCR results. Osteonectin protein was found by immunofluorescent analysis to localize in odontoblasts and preodontoblasts rather than the dentin matrix itself. Further studies are needed to validate the involvement of osteonectin in mineralization and root formation.
Animals ; Dentin ; DNA ; Molar ; Odontoblasts ; Osteonectin ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA, Messenger ; Tooth