Expression Of Thymidine Phosphorylase, Focal Adhesion Kinase, Glucose Transporter-1 And Its Clinical Significance In Squamous Carcinoma Of Cervix

Objective: To investigated the role of thymidine phosphorylase, focal adhesion kinase and glucose transporter-1 in regional tumor angiogenesis, cancer cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis in squamous carcinoma of cervix.Methods: The expression of thymidine phosphorylase(TP), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), glucose transporter-1(GLUT-1), microvascular density(MVD))labeled by CD34 protein and proliferation index of cancer cells labeled by Ki-67 protein in 30 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (CIN), 60 cases of squamous carcinoma of cervix(SCC) and 20 cases of normal cervical epithelium(NCE) were examined by immunohistochemistry two steps method. The relationship between the expression of TP, FAK, GLUT-1 and MVD, proliferation of cancer cells and many parameters relating to clinical pathology of cancer invasion and metastasis in SCC was analyzed statistically.Results: The potisitive staining reaction of TP increased remarkably from NCE to CIN, and then to SCC, accordingly (all P<0.01). The expression of TP in SCC was significantly positive related to Ki-67(r=0.548,P=0.000) and MVD(r= 0.384,P=0.002). In the cases with deeper stroma involvement and intravascular infiltration, the potisitive staining reaction of TP was significantly higher than those in the cases without them. (all P<0.05)The potisitive staining reaction of FAK increased remarkably from NCE and CIN to SCC (P<0.01). The expression of FAK in SCC was significantly positive related to MVD (r=0.462, P=0.000). In the cases with FIGO stagingâ…¡, histological gradingâ…¢, pelvic lymph node metastasis and intravascular infiltration, the potisitive staining reaction of FAK was significantly higher than those in the cases without them. (all P<0.05)The positive rate of expression of GLUT-1 increased remarkably from NCE to CIN, and then to SCC (P<0.05). The expression of GLUT-1 in SCC was significantly positive correlated with MVD (r=0.548, P=0.000) and Ki-67 (r=0.384, P=0.002).The positive rate of GLUT-1 staining in the cases with FIGO stagingâ…¡, histological gradingâ…¢, pelvic lymph node metastasis, deeper stroma involvement and intravascular infiltration was significantly higher than those in the cases without them. (all P<0.05)The expression of TP in SCC was significantly positive correlated with FAK or GLUT-1(for FAK, r=0.382, P=0.003; for GLUT-1, r=0.339, P=0.008).The expression of FAK in SCC was positive correlated with GLUT-1 (r =0.542, P=0.000). There were interactions on the expression of TP and GLUT-1 in cancer cell proliferation or intravascular infiltration in SCC. There were not interactions on the expression of TP, FAK and GLUT-1 in tumor stroma involvement and pelvic lymph node metastasis in SCC.Conclusions: TP, FAK and GLUT-1 may play important roles in canceration and cancer progression in SCC. Over-expression of TP, FAK and GLUT-1 in SCC may result in increased tumor angiogenesis, rapid proliferation of cancer cells and great increase of cancer invasion and metastasis. Detection expression of TP, FAK and GLUT-1 in SCC may be of value in further understanding the biological behavior and predicting the pronosis of squamous carcinoma of cervix.