Correlation betweenthymosin β 4 and epithelial-mesenchymaltransition in human bladder transi-tional cell carcinoma

Abstract

：Objective To investigatethe relationship between human thymosin β4 (Tβ4)and epi-thelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in bladder transitional cell carcinoma(BTCC),explore the associa-tion with chnicopathologic features. Methods 60 BTCC specimens fromsurgically resected were selected. For each specimen,the cancerous tissue, peri-cancertissue and its remote normal mucosa were analyzed and compared. The expression of Tβ4,integrin-linked kinese (ILK), E-cadherin and β-catenin proteins inre-sected cancer tissues were detected by using real-time reverse transcription-polymerasechain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, and compared withchnicopathologic data. Results (1 ) The expression rate of Tβ4 was significantly higher inBTCC tissues than in normal tissues (91.7% vs 15. 0% ,P <0. 05 ) ,and the expressionrate of Tβ4 in deeply infiltrating group was significantly higher than thatin superficially infiltrating group (97.4% vs 81% ,P <0. 05 ) ;the level of ILK wassignificantly higher in BTCC than in normal tissues(80. 0% vs 18. 3% ,P <0. 05 ) ;theexpression rate of β-catenin was higher in BTCC tissues than in normaltissues (76. 7% vs 26. 7%, P < 0. 05 ) ; the expression of E-cadherin in BTCC tissueswere significantly lowered in comparison with those in normal bladder epithelium (30. 0%vs 90. 0% ,P < 0. 05 );(2) Tβ4 expression was inverselycorrelated to E-cadherin, but positively to ILK and β-catenin. Conclusion Thymosinβ4 is related to the differentiation and metastasis of bladder transitional cellcarcinoma,and may induce EMT to promote BTCC metastasis.