Abstract
BackgroundTranslationally Controlled Tumour protein is a multifunctional calcium binding protein which has an important role in apoptosis, calcium levels balance and immunological response. The aim of this study was to evaluated the presence and distribution of TCTP in healthy human corneas and to identify and characterize the presence and distribution of this protein in human normal cornea. Since recent studies suggest that apoptosis, calcium levels and immunological mechanisms play a role in the pathogenesis of herpetic stromal keratitis, we studied TCTP expression in this disease.MethodsWe evaluated the expression of TCTP at both RNA messanger and protein level by using reverse transcriptase analysis, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry in 10 healthy samples cornea: four obtained after penetrating keratoplasty and six from eyes enucleated for other pathologies. Finally, we analysed by immunohistochemistry ten paraffin-embedded samples of Herpes simplex virus keratitis collected at Siena Department of Human Pathology and Oncology: 5 had clinically quiescent disease and 5 had active corneal inflammation.ResultsReverse transcriptase and immunoblotting demonstrated TCTP expression in cornea as a 22,000 Da molecular weight band corresponding to the molecular weight of this protein. Immunohistochemically, all the layers of normal corneal epithelium showed TCTP cytoplasmic expression. TCTP was, also, observed in keratocytes and in the endothelium. In Herpes simplex virus keratitis samples, strong expression of TCTP was evident in stromal cells, in the inflammatory infiltrate and in neo-vessels.ConclusionsIn this preliminary study we demonstrated, for the first time, the presence of TCTP in human cornea, suggesting a potential role in the pathogenesis of herpes virus keratitis.Virtual SlidesThe virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/3306813447428149
Highlights
Controlled Tumour protein is a multifunctional calcium binding protein which has an important role in apoptosis, calcium levels balance and immunological response
Since recent studies suggest that apoptosis [19], calcium levels [20] and immunological mechanisms [21] play a role in the pathogenesis of herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK), we studied Translationally controlled tumour protein (TCTP) expression in this disease
Normal cornea reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of TCTP mRNA levels To evaluate steady-state levels of TCTP mRNA, total RNA extracted from tissues was examined by RT-PCR
Summary
Controlled Tumour protein is a multifunctional calcium binding protein which has an important role in apoptosis, calcium levels balance and immunological response. Controlled tumour protein (TCTP), known as fortilin [1] or TPT1 [2] is a ubiquitously expressed protein of 21 kDa in mice and 23 kDa in humans, expressed in all eukaryotes. It bears no sequence similarity with any other known protein [1]. An anti-apoptotic function of TCTP in human cancer cells has been identified This function may be related to calcium binding [9,10,11,12] and inhibition of Bax dimerization [4]. Association with a cytoskeletal component, F-actin, and a role in cell shape regulation were recently discovered [16], as well as its capacity to bind tubulin and serve as a substrate for Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk-1) [4]
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