Up-regulation of pS2 expression during the development of adenocarcinomas but not squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix, independently of expression of c-jun or oestrogen and progesterone receptors

The pS2 gene product was firstly identified as an oestrogen-induced molecul e in a breast cancer cell line, while recent studies demonstrate a close as sociation with mucus-secreting epithelia. To assess pS2 expression in uteri ne cervical adenocarcinomas (C-ACas) and invasive squamous cell carcinomas (C-ISCCs), a series of 94 and 86 cases, respectively, as well as 77 samples of normal cervix, were immunohistochemically investigated and the results compared with data for expression of oestrogen and progesterone receptors ( ER and PR) and c-jun. RT-PCR and western blot assays were also applied to 2 1 cervical carcinomas and 24 normal tissues. With cervical glandular lesion s, significant up-regulation of pS2 expression at both the mRNA and the pro tein levels was observed for adenocarcinomas in situ (AISs) and overt carci nomas, closely linked with mucinous differentiation and tumour grades. pS2 scores mere inversely related to ER alpha status for all cervical glandular categories, while there was no association with ER beta and PR values. In squamous lesions, pS2 values did not differ between normal and malignant le sions, in contrast to the significant downregulation of ER alpha expression with tumour development. Although c-jun expression significantly correlate d with ER alpha values for all squamous categories, it did not relate to pS 2 status in either C-ACas or ISCCs. These results indicate that alterations in pS2 expression may occur relatively early in the development of cervica l glandular, but not squamous lesions, independently of factors known to pr omote transcription of the pS2 gene. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.