PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the expressions of osteopontin (OPN) and clusterin in a transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder, and then compare their expression rates with the tumor invasiveness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five superficial and 25 invasive TCC were used for immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: All 25 non-invasive TCC showed a strong positive reaction for OPN. Twenty of the invasive TCC showed a strong positive reaction for OPN, but 5 showed only a weak positive reaction. OPN expression was significantly decreased in the invasive TCC (p=0.02). Eighteen superficial TCC showed a weak positive reaction for clusterin, with 7 showing a negative reaction. Nine invasive TCC showed a strong positive reaction for clusterin, and 11 showed only a weak positive reaction. Five invasive TCC showed a negative reaction for clusterin. Clusterin expression was significantly increased in the invasive TCC (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results may suggest that OPN and clusterin could be used as markers to predict the biological behavior of a TCC.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Clusterin* ; Osteopontin* ; Urinary Bladder*

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: This study was aimed at evaluating the histological changes of new bone and expression of osteopontin (OPN) after mandibular distraction osteogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Unilateral mandibular distraction (0.5 mm twice per day for 10 days) was performed in eight adult dogs. Two animals were sacrificed at 7, 14, 28 and 56 days after completion of distraction, respectively. The distracted bones and contralateral non-distracted control bones were harvested and processed for histological and immunohistochemical examinations. RESULTS: The new bone was arranged to tension direction after distraction osteogenesis. 7 days after distraction, numerous osteoblasts lining the immature trabecular bone and fibroblast-like cells in the fibrous intrezone were observed. 14 days after distraction, the new formed trabecular bones were thickened compared with 7 days after distraction. 28 days after distraction, the fibrous interzone was almost filled with newly calcified bone, and it was more hardened at 56 days after distraction. Increased OPN signals detected in the osteoblasts lining the trabecular bone and fibroblast-like cells in the fibrous interzone at 7 and 14 days after distraction. At 28 days after distraction, the OPN was weakly expressed in the osteoblasts, and it was not detected in all cellular components of distracted bone at 56 days later of distraction. CONCLUSIONS: After distraction osteogenesis, the distracted zone was completely calcified during the 56 days of consolidation period. In this study, the staining intensity of OPN increased in the osteoblasts and fibroblast-like cells at 7 and 14 days after distraction. The expression pattern of this protein shown here suggested that OPN play an important role in the osteogenesis during the early consolidation period.
Adult ; Animals ; Dogs ; Humans ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Osteogenesis, Distraction* ; Osteopontin*

Coronary Restenosis ; metabolism ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Osteopontin ; metabolism

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of irradiation on the phenotypic expression of the MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cell line, particularly on the expression of osteocalcin and osteopontin. 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 a cesium 137 irradiator. After the specimens were harvested, RNA was extracted on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st day after irradiation. The RNA strands were reverse-transcribed and the resulting cDNAs were subjected to amplification by PCR. RESULTS: The irradiated cells demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in osteocalcin and a dose-dependent decrease in osteopontin mRNA expression compared with the non-irradiated control group. The amount of osteocalcin mRNA expression decreased significantly at the 3rd day after irradiation of 0.5, 1, 4, and 8 Gy, and also decreased significantly at the 3rd, 14th, and 21st day after irradiation in the 8 Gy exposed group compared with the control group. The degree of osteopontin mRNA expression increased significantly at the 7th day after irradiation of 0.5, 1, 4, and 8 Gy. CONCLUSION: These results showed that each single dose of 0.5, 1, 4, and 8 Gy influenced the mRNA expression of osteocalcin and osteopontin associated with the calcification stage of osteoblastic cells, suggesting that each single dose affected bone formation at the cell level.
Cell Line* ; Cesium ; DNA, Complementary ; Osteoblasts* ; Osteocalcin* ; Osteogenesis ; Osteopontin* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger*

OBJECTIVE: To understand the expression pattern of osteopontin on various histologic types of ovarian tumors. METHODS: We performed an immunohistochemical study on 90 paraffin embedded tissues including 80 ovarian epithelial tumors and 10 normal ovaries. We also performed a semiquantitative study of osteopontin mRNA on 12 fresh ovarian tumors, 2 normal ovaries and SKOV3 cell line. SAS 8.2 program was used for statistical analysis and Fisher's Extract test and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel Statistics for analysis of the relationship between expression of osteopontin and histologic types. RESULTS: Among 55 carcinomas, over 50% of tumor cells expressed osteopontin in 14/14 clear cell, 11/ 12 endometrioid, 11/16 serous, and 5/15 mucinous types. The expression degrees were well correlated with the histologic types of carcinomas (p=0.002). Among 25 benign tumors, over 10% of tumor cells showed in 11/15 serous and 3/10 mucinous types (p=0.008). However, the degree of osteopontin expression was not related to the tumor grades or stages of ovarian cancer. Semiquantitative study for osteopontin mRNA showed 5-6 times higher in SKOV3 cell line as well as in serous adenocarcinomas, compared with the normal ovaries. However, there was no increase of osteopontin mRNA in benign or malignant mucinous tumors. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the expression of osteopontin is not only present in ovarian cancers, but also in benign ovarian tumors.
Adenocarcinoma ; Cell Line ; Female ; Mucins ; Osteopontin* ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary ; Paraffin ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUND: Osteopontin (OPN) is a cytokine associated with a cell-matrix via integrins. Fibroblast specific protein-1 (FSP-1), known as S100A4, has been implicated in cell migration by non-muscle myosin. We investigated whether the role of OPN and FSP-1/S100A4 expression in their contribution to the podocyte phenotype change to form podocyte bridge and cellular crescent. METHODS: Glomerular expression of OPN and FSP-1/S100A4 in renal biopsies of 16 patients with crescentic glomerulonephritis (CrGN) and 13 normal renal biopsies were studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The expression of OPN and FSP-1/S100A4 was increased in the podocytes of glomeruli, with and without crescents, in patients with CrGN. Neither OPN nor FSP-1/S100A4 was expressed in glomeruli from the normal controls (p<0.01). A significant positive correlation was found between the expression of OPN in glomerular tufts and cellular crescents, and the expression of OPN and FSP-1/S100A4 in glomerular tufts (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that OPN plays a role in early podocyte attachment to Bowman's capsule, and FSP-1/S100A4 potentiate podocyte contribution to cellular crescent formation by inducing cellular migration and growth.
Biopsy ; Bowman Capsule ; Cell Movement ; Fibroblasts ; Glomerulonephritis ; Humans ; Integrins ; Myosins ; Osteopontin ; Phenotype ; Podocytes

Silica is known as a promising osteoconductive material, and polycaprolactone is a bioactive and degradable material. The purpose of this study was to monitor the differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the layer-built silica/poly caprolactone non-woven fabric produced by electrospinning. Non-woven fabric (silica, polycaprolactone, PSP, SPS) was made by electrospinning and they were inserted in the 48 well cell culture plate. MC3T3-E1 cells were prepared by subculture. Cells were seeded to each well 1x10(5) concentration per well. Dulbecco's modified eagle medium with 10% FBS and 1% antibiotic-antimycotic solution was used. Confocal laser scanning microscope was taken 4 hours after incubation (95% air, 5% CO2, 37degrees C). Cell proliferation was monitored by spectrophotometer on 1, 7, 14 days, and the morphology of the growing cells was observed by field emission scanning electron microscope. To monitor the differentiation of osteoblasts on the materials, MC3T3-E1 cells were incubated in 48 well culture plate after seeding with the density of 1x10(5) concentration. Then ELISA kit & EIA kit were used on to assess osteocalcin and osteopontin expression respectively. The other conditions were the same as above. MC3T3-E1 cells were proliferated well on all of the materials. There were no statistical differences among them. The osteopontin expression of silica, PSP, SPS was significantly higher than other groups on day 3 (p<0.05), but after that time, there were no statistically signigicant differences. The osteocalcin expression was significantly higher in silica and PSP than other groups on day 14. These findings show that PSP was as good as silica on the effect of osteoblast differentiation. The PSP non-woven fabric may have the possibility as bone graft materials.
Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Proliferation ; Eagles ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Osteoblasts ; Osteocalcin ; Osteopontin ; Silicon Dioxide ; Transplants

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Osteopontin ; Prognosis

Osteopontin (OPN) is an extracellular matrix protein with multifunctions, expressed in various tissues and body fluids, involved in various physiological and pathological processes. It is also detected in the reproductive tract of both males and females, and participates in the implantation, development and differentiation of embryos. Recent studies have indicated that OPN is closely related with male fertility and may affect sperm quality and fertilization. An insight into the functions of OPN may help to explain the mechanisms of male infertility and improve the success rate of assisted reproductive technology.
Animals ; Fertility ; Genitalia, Male ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Mammals ; Osteopontin ; metabolism ; Spermatozoa ; metabolism