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Published on: March 12, 2013
Expression of inflammation-related genes in aldosterone-producing adenomas with KCNJ5 mutation
Masanori Murakami1, Takanobu Yoshimoto1, Yujiro Nakano1
1Department of Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan.
Background:
The adrenocortical cells have been shown to produce various inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα and IL-6, which could modulate steroidogenesis. However, the role of inflammatory cytokines in aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs) is not fully understood. In the present study, we examined the relationships between mRNA expression levels of the inflammation-related genes and somatic mutations in APA tissues.
Methods:
We evaluated mRNA expression levels of TNFA, IL6, and NFKB1 in APA tissues obtained from 44 Japanese APA patients.
Results:
We revealed that mRNA expression patterns of the inflammation-related genes depended on a KCNJ5 somatic mutation. In addition, we showed that mRNA expression levels of the inflammation-related genes correlated with those of the steroidogenic enzyme CYP11B1 in the patients with APAs.
Conclusion:
The present study documented for the first time the expression of inflammation-related genes in APAs and the correlation of their expression levels with the KCNJ5 mutation status and mRNA expression levels of steroidogenic enzymes, indicating the pathophysiological relevance of inflammation-related genes in APAs.
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