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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

The Use of Reverse Phase Protein Arrays (RPPA) to Explore Protein Expression Variation within Individual Renal Cell Cancers
Published on: January 22, 2013
Aberrations of the p14(ARF) and p16(INK4a) genes in renal cell carcinomas
Y Kawada1, M Nakamura, E Ishida
1Second Department of Pathology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521, Japan. nkonishi@naramed-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
The INK4a / ARF locus on chromosome 9p21, which encodes two distinct genes, p14(ARF) and p16(INK4a), is frequently altered in human neoplasms. To investigate the potential roles of p14(ARF) and p16(INK4a) genes in human renal cell carcinomas (RCCs), we analyzed 6 human RCC cell lines and 91 primary RCCs for homozygous deletion, promoter hypermethylation and expression of the p14(ARF) and p16(INK4a) gene products using differential PCR, methylation-specific PCR, and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Five cell lines showed homozygous co-deletion of both genes and one demonstrated promoter hypermethylation of the p16(INK4a) gene only. Eight of 91 RCCs showed aberrations of p14(ARF) or p16(INK4a) status and six of these featured gross extension into the renal vein. The results suggest that p14(ARF) and p16(INK4a) aberrations may play roles in the relatively late stage of renal tumorigenesis associated with tumor progression.
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