Analysis of human kallikrein 7 expression as a potential biomarker in cervical neoplasia

Author(s)

Termini, Lara ; Maciag, Paulo Cesar ^[1] ; Soares, Fernando Augusto ^[2] ; Nonogaki, Suely ^[3] ; Miranda Pereira, Sonia Maria ^[3] ; Ferreira Alves, Venancio Avancini ^[4] ; Longatto-Filho, Adhemar ^{[3, 5]} ; Villa, Luisa Lina ^[6]

Affiliation

^[1] Advaxis Inc, N Brunswick, NJ - USA

^[2] Hosp AC Camargo Fund Antonio Prudente, Dept Anat Pathol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Inst Adolfo Lutz Registro, Div Pathol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Pathol, Lab Med Invest LIM 14, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Univ Minho, Sch Hlth Sci, Life & Hlth Sci Res Inst, Braga - Portugal

^[6] Hosp Alemao Oswaldo Cruz, Ludwig Inst Canc Res, BR-01323903 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: International Journal of Cancer; v. 127, n. 2, p. 485-490, JUL 15 2010.
• Web of Science Citations: 16

Abstract

Overexpression of kallikrein 7, a proteolytic enzyme important for epithelial cell shedding, may be causally involved in carcinogenesis, particularly in tumor metastasis and invasion. In this study, we have evaluated hK7 (human kallikrein 7) protein levels by immunohistochemistry in 367 cervical histological samples including 35 cases of cervicitis, 31 low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, 51 high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (H-SIL), 197 squamous cervical carcinomas (SCC) and 53 cervical adenocarcinomas. We have observed that hK7 staining increased with the severity of cervical disease. Intense hK7 staining was found in 15.2% of cervicitis samples, in contrast to 55% of H-SIL and 68% of SCC. Moreover, 92.5% of adenocarcinomas also exhibited intense hK7 staining. Differences in the expression of hK7 could potentially be used as a biomarker for the characterization of different stages of cervical disease. (AU)