Abstract
Wingless binding integration site proteins (Wnt) have an important role in normal kidney development and in various kidney diseases. They are required for complete epithelial differentiation and normal nephron formation. Changes in these proteins could also have important role in carcinogenesis. This study included 185 patients with clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) in whom immunohistochemical expression of Wnt-4 protein in healthy and tumorous tissue after surgery was investigated. There was higher expression of Wnt-4 in healthy than in tumor tissue. No difference between Fuhrman’s grade and Wnt-4 expression was found. A poor negative correlation between tumor size and Wnt-4 expression was found. Patients with suspected metastatic diseases had higher Wnt-4 expression. There was no difference in survival rates between Wnt-4 negative and positive groups. In our study we have shown that high Wnt-4 expression in healthy tissue decreases in low-grade tumors but then increases in high-grade tumors, suggesting that tumor progression requires Wnt-4 activation or reactivation.
Highlights
Kidney cancer accounts for about 2–3% of cancers worldwide and is one of the most common urological malignancies, with more than 330,000 newly diagnosed cases per year, mostly in Europe, North America, Australia and Japan [1]
Normal kidney development is a complex process involving many molecules, and one of the most important is the family of wingless binding integration site proteins (Wnt) required for grouping cells for complete epithelial differentiation, i.e., nephron formation [6,7]
Changes in Wnt proteins have been shown in various types of tumors, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, thyroid cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and in adrenal gland tumors and kidney cancer [8,9]
Summary
Kidney cancer accounts for about 2–3% of cancers worldwide and is one of the most common urological malignancies, with more than 330,000 newly diagnosed cases per year, mostly in Europe, North America, Australia and Japan [1]. Due to the widespread use of imaging modalities such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging, most patients with kidney cancer are diagnosed at an earlier stage of the disease, with better treatment outcomes [3]. Renal cancer is a complex disease consisting of several subtypes, of which clear cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common form that causes significant morbidity and mortality, so a better understanding of its biology is very important [4,5].
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