[The significance of K-Cl cotransport1 expression in cervical cancer tissues]

To investigate the expression of K-Cl cotransport 1(KCC1) in cervical cancer tissues and to investigate its role in the onset and progression of cervical cancer.

Specimens of uterus were obtained from 60 patients aged 45.89 (25 approximately 73), 40 with cervical cancer, 10 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 10 with chronic cervicitis. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of KCC1. Immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the location of KCC1 protein.

The mRNA expression and protein expression of KCC1 were both significantly higher in the cervical cancer tissue than those in the CIN and chronic cervicitis tissues (all P < 0.05). The levels of KCC1 in the lowly differentiated cancer tissues (at grades G(2) and G(3)) were significantly higher than those in the highly differentiated cancer tissues (at grade G(1), P < 0.05). Western blotting revealed that the protein expression level of KCC1 was significantly higher in the cervical cancer tissues than in the CIN and chronic cervicitis tissues (both P < 0.05) and the protein expression levels of KCC1 in the cancer tissues at G" 2 and G(3) grades were significantly higher than that in the cancer tissues at grade G(1) (both P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in mRNA and protein expression between the early and terminal cervical cancer tissues. There were no significant differences in the mRNA and protein expression of KCC1 between the cervical cancer cases with or without lymph node metastasis. Immunofluorescence assay showed that KCC1 was located in the cellular membrane in all patients and the KCC1 expression level there was significantly higher in the cervical cancer tissues than in the tissues of CIN and chronic cervicitis.

The expression of KCC1 is up-regulated in cervical cancer and it may play an important role in the onset and progression of cervical cancer.