Correlation between thymidine phosphorylase expression and invasion phenotype in cervical carcinoma cells

The correlation between thymidine phosphorylase (dThd-Pase) expression and invasion phenotype in human uterine cervical carcinoma cells was investigat ed using 10 cervical carcinoma cell lines. Semi-quantitative reverse transc ription-polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to investigate the mRNA levels of dThdPase and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 with beta -ac tin coamplified as an internal standard. dThdPase protein expression levels were detected by highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Tumor cell migration along a gradient of substratum-bound fibronectin and invasi on into reconstituted basement membrane were evaluated by haptotactic migra tion and invasion assay. Although dThdPase mRNA and protein expression leve ls differed remarkably among the cell lines, there was a statistical correl ation between them (r = 0.743, p = 0,0139). dThdPase gene and protein expre ssion levels were well correlated with the number of cells that migrated an d invaded (p < 0.05). Moreover, there was a close correlation between MMP-2 gene and dThdPase gene and protein expression levels (p < 0.05), Tumor cel ls that produce dThdPase may have a higher invasive and metastatic potentia l because of their capacity to pass through tissue barriers. (C) 2001 Wiley -Liss, Inc.