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Imbalanced expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases in lung squamous cell carcinoma

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Abstract

Objective

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are correlated with a more malignant phenotype in many cancers. This study was designed to evaluate the predictive value of the expression of MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2), as the key regulatory mechanism of the MAPKs, in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Methods

We assessed the expressions of MKP-1 and p-ERK1/2 in twenty subjects at different differentiation degree of SCC and five normal lungs by immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis.

Results

Immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR assay showed that the expression of MKP-1 was gradually decreased as tissue type went from normal lung tissues to increasingly undifferentiated carcinoma, and it was negatively correlated with tumor differentiation (P<0.01). However, the expression of p-ERK1/2 or ERK1/2 was gradually increased as tissue type went from normal lung tissues to increasingly undifferentiated carcinoma, and it was positively correlated with tumor differentiation (P<0.01).

Conclusions

Our data indicates the relevance of MKP-1 and p-ERK1/2 in SCC as a potential positive and negative prognostic factor. The imbalanced expression of MKP-1 and p-ERK1/2 may play a role in the development of SCC and these two molecules may be new targets for the therapy and prognosis of SCC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Respiratory Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, China

    Kai Wang, Min Zhang & Hua-hao Shen

  2. School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Ying-ying Qian, Zhe-yuan Ding & Jun-hui Lv

Authors
  1. Kai Wang
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  2. Min Zhang
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  3. Ying-ying Qian
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  4. Zhe-yuan Ding
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  5. Jun-hui Lv
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  6. Hua-hao Shen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hua-hao Shen.

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The two authors contributed equally to this work

Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30900654), the Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province (No. 2009R10031), and the Health Bureau of Zhejiang Province (No. 2009QN010), China

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Wang, K., Zhang, M., Qian, Yy. et al. Imbalanced expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases in lung squamous cell carcinoma. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B 12, 828–834 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1100165

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1100165

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