Abstract
The link between thrombotic disorders and cancer has been known for over 150 years, although the precise mechanism of this relationship has not yet been resolved. Current data show that thrombin has a significant role in cancer metabolism, invasiveness, adhesion and survival. However, data regarding the expression of the thrombin precursor prothrombin in various cancer cell lines are scarce. Therefore, it was our objective to determine whether common cancer-derived cell lines (Caco-2, MCF-7, SK-BR-3, U-87 and U-251) express prothrombin. The prothrombin RNA expression level was assessed by qPCR, and the presence of prothrombin was analyzed by Western blot analysis. Our results show that Caco-2 cells originating from colorectal adenocarcinoma express prothrombin, whereas other analyzed cell lines do not. Our results provide a background for further research into the role of (pro)thrombin in cancer etiopathology.
Highlights
Cancer is a major health issue worldwide and one of the leading causes of death in the modern world, accounting for more than 8 million deaths annually [1]
This was first recognized by the French clinician Armand Trousseau, who noticed that gastric cancer patients have a higher risk of developing venous thrombosis [3]
Permanent cancer cell lines used in this study were: Caco-2 (ATCC® HTB-37TM), MCF-7 (HTB-22TM), SKBR-3 (ATCC® HTB-30TM), U-87 (ATCC® HTB-14TM) and U-251 (ECACC 09063001)
Summary
Cancer is a major health issue worldwide and one of the leading causes of death in the modern world, accounting for more than 8 million deaths annually [1]. Cancer patients are prone to developing prothrombotic disorders with higher frequencies than the general population, which contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of the primary disease [2]. This was first recognized by the French clinician Armand Trousseau, who noticed that gastric cancer patients have a higher risk of developing venous thrombosis [3]. Risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is 5 times higher in cancer patients than in the general population [5] and occurring VTE correlates with a poorer prognosis [6].
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