Analysis of nm23 gene expressions in human bladder and renal cancers

We measured nm23-H1 and nm23-H2 mRNA levels in tissues from 22 human bladder cancers and 16 renal cell carcinomas, and in 7 bladder cancer and 6 renal cancer cell lines by Northern blot and slot blot hybridization analyses. Differences in mRNA levels were evaluated in primary tumor tissues and in paired normal tissues and cell lines. Moreover, nm23 gene expression in primary tumor tissues was compared with clinicopathological features. High nm23-H1 and nm23-H2 expression was observed in cancerous areas of human bladder tissue (nm23-H1: p = 0.001, nm23-H2: p = 0.001) and bladder cancer cell lines (nm23-H1: p = 0.001, nm23-H2: p < 0.001) compared with that in normal bladder mucosa. However, mRNA levels of both nm23 genes were not associated with histological grade, pathological stage, tumor metastasis or prognosis. On the other hand, in human renal cell carcinomas, levels of both nm23 mRNAs in tumor tissues were similar to those in paired normal kidneys, but elevated in cultured cell lines (nm23-H1: p = 0.002, nm23-H2: p = 0.014). Moreover, there was a tendency towards high nm23 gene expression in grade 2 tumors compared with grade 1 (grade 1 vs grade 2, nm23-H1: p = 0.107, nm23-H2: p = 0.008; no grade 3 tumors in this study) and in high stage renal cancers (< or = stage II vs stage III < or =, nm23-H1: p = 0.023, nm23-H2: p = 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)