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Disabled-2 and Axin are concurrently colocalized and underexpressed in lung cancers

Hong-Tao Xu1, Lian-He Yang, Qing-Chang Li

  • 1Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital and College of Basic Medical Sciences of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China. xu.htao@yahoo.com.cn

Human Pathology
|April 19, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Disabled-2, a potential tumor suppressor, is reduced in lung cancer. Its reduced expression, along with Axin, correlates with tumor malignancy, while increased DNA methyltransferase-1 indicates progression.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Disabled-2 is implicated as a tumor suppressor due to its reduced expression in various cancers.
  • Understanding the role of Disabled-2 in lung cancer pathogenesis is crucial for identifying potential therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the expression patterns of Disabled-2, Axin, and DNA methyltransferase-1 in lung cancer.
  • To determine the correlation between these proteins and clinicopathological features of lung cancer.
  • To elucidate the subcellular localization of Disabled-2 and Axin in lung cancer cells.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were used to assess protein expression in lung cancer tissues and normal lung tissues.
  • Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy was employed to determine the subcellular localization of Axin and Disabled-2 in A549 lung cancer cells.
  • Statistical analysis, including correlation coefficients and P-values, was used to evaluate relationships between protein expression and clinicopathological parameters.

Main Results:

  • Disabled-2 expression was significantly reduced in lung cancers compared to normal tissues.
  • Reduced Disabled-2 and Axin expression was concurrently observed and correlated with the malignant phenotype of lung cancers.
  • Increased DNA methyltransferase-1 expression was positively correlated with tumor progression, including histologic type, differentiation, TNM stage, and lymphatic metastasis, and negatively correlated with cytoplasmic Axin expression.

Conclusions:

  • Disabled-2 and Axin expression are concurrently reduced in lung cancer and are associated with tumor malignancy.
  • Reduced nuclear Disabled-2 expression correlates with poor tumor differentiation and advanced TNM stage.
  • Elevated DNA methyltransferase-1 expression is linked to reduced Axin expression and may serve as a biomarker for lung cancer development and progression.

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