Expression And Significance Of P120 Catenin In Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

【Objective】To evaluate the expression of p120ctn in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and to explore its significance in NHL.【Method】We observe the expression level of P120ctn protein and its mRNA in tissues and cells of NHL by immunohistochemistry stain and RT-PCR. Flied paraffin blocks of 40 cases NHL and 10 cases Reactive hyperplasia lymphoid node from September, 2001 to March, 2005 were collected in the pathological department of Tongji hospital, and the expression of p120ctn protein was examined in their tissue slices by streptavidin peroxidase method. Then reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was used to detect mRNA expression of p120 catenin in normal lymphocyte and four kinds of NHL cell lines U937, Raji, Jurkat and Molt4.【Result】No expression of P120ctn protein was detected in reactive hyperplasia of lymphoid node, but 22 P120ctn-positive samples of 40 ones(55%) in NHL. P120ctn expression increased with the malignancy of NHL, there is a significant difference between the expression rate of p120ctn in low grade(16.7%, 2/12) and intermediate to high grade (71.4%, 20/28) NHL (P<0.01 ). Moreover, p120ctn was also expressed in vascular endothelial cells of NHL. Meanwhile, mRNA of p120ctn1A and 3A isoprotein were not detected in normal lymphocyte, but expressed in all NHL cell lines mentioned above.【Conclusion】This study finds abnormal protein and mRNA of p120 catenin expression in tissue and cells of NHL, which suggests that p120ctn possibly concerns with morbidity of NHL and its expression level has closely related to the grade of malignant of NHL. In addition, the result indicates that p120ctn possibly plays an important role in the malignant proliferation of lymphoma, and therefore has certain significance in diagnosis and therapy of lymphoma.