Implications of transcriptional factor, OCT-4, in human bladder malignancy and tumor recurrence

OCT-4, which is also known as POU5f1, is a key regulator of self-renewal in embryonic stem cells. The new cancer stem cell concept proposes that the expression of such genes is potentially correlated with tumorigenesis and can affect some aspects of the cancer behavior, such as recurrence or metastasis. This study investigated the association between OCT-4 expression in cancer tissues obtained by transurethral surgery and the clinical data to clarify the involvement of OCT-4 in human bladder malignancy. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that a positive rate of OCT-4 expression was significantly associated with the higher-grade cancer (G2 and G3) in comparison with that of the lower grade (G1). In addition, positive OCT-4 expression was significantly associated with the intra-bladder tumor recurrence after the operation. The staining intensity of OCT-4 expression was also correlated with tumor recurrence. These data indicate that positive OCT-4 expression may be involved in the development of high-grade bladder cancer and with the bladder cancer recurrence. This is the first study showing a correlation between the expression of OCT-4 and bladder cancer recurrence. OCT-4 may be a valuable clinical marker for the progression of bladder cancer and may be an attractive therapeutic target for the development of new medicines for the treatment of malignancy.