Correlation between transcription factor forkhead box protein Q1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human bladder transitional cell carcinoma

Abstract

Objective To investigate the relationship between transcription factor forkhead box protein Q1 (FOXQ1) and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in bladder transitional cell carcinoma (BTCC),and the association between FOXQ1 and clinicopathologic features.Methods Sixty-five BTCC specimens surgically resected were selected.For each specimen,the cancerous tissue,peri-cancerous tissue and the remote normal mucosa were analyzed and compared.The expression of FOXQ1,transforming growth factor (TGF)-βl,E-cadherin and Vimentin genes in resected cancer tissues was detected by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR),Western blotting and immunohistochemistry,and their association with clinicopathologic data was analyzed.Results (1) The expression rate of FOXQ1 was significantly higher in BTCC tissues than in normal tissues (89.2％ vs 13.8％,P ＜0.05),and that in deeply infiltrating group was significantly higher than that in superficially infiltrating group (97.3％ vs 78.6％,P ＜0.05).The level of TGF-β1 was significantly higher in BTCC tissues than in normal tissues (76.9％ vs 26.2％,P ＜0.05).The expression level of E-cadherin in BTCC tissues was significantly lowered in comparison with that in normal bladder epithelium (27.7％ vs 89.2％,P ＜0.05).The expression rate of Vimentin was higher in BTCC tissues than in normal tissues (83.1％ vs 20.0％,P ＜ 0.05) ; (2)The expression of FOXQ1 serving as one new positive control factor of EMT was inversely correlated to Ecadherin,but positively to TGF-β1 and Vimentin.Conclusion FOXQ1 is related to the differentiation and metastasis of BTCC,and may induce EMT to promote BTCC metastasis. Key words: Epithelial mesenchymal transition; Bladder transitional cell carcinoma; Transcription factor; Forkhead box protein Q1