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Altered expression of transforming growth factor‐α: An early event in renal cell carcinoma development
Author(s) -
Everitt Jeffrey I.,
Walker Cheryl L.,
Goldsworthy Thomas W.,
Wolf Douglas C.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
molecular carcinogenesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.254
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1098-2744
pISSN - 0899-1987
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2744(199707)19:3<213::aid-mc9>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - biology , carcinogenesis , transforming growth factor , neoplastic transformation , pathology , immunohistochemistry , renal cell carcinoma , cell , cell growth , epidermal growth factor receptor , cancer research , receptor , endocrinology , cancer , immunology , medicine , genetics
Transforming growth factor‐α (TGF‐α) is a multifunctional cell regulatory protein with a wide range of effects on cell growth and differentiation and has been implicated in the neoplastic transformation of a variety of cell types. Altered expression of TGF‐α and its cognate receptor (epidermal growth factor receptor) is enhanced in human and rat renal cell carcinomas. The objective of the study reported here was to determine whether altered TGF‐α expression is an early or late event in renal tubular oncogenesis. The immunohistochemical expression of TGF‐α was studied in preneoplastic renal tubular lesions in a rat model of hereditary renal cell carcinoma. Strong TGF‐α immunoreactivity was present at all stages of renal cell tumor development, including the earliest detectable dysplasias. In contrast, the non‐neoplastic regenerating tubular epithelium of rat degenerative nephropathy did not stain for TGF‐α, although this tissue exhibited a proliferative capacity similar to that observed in the dysplastic and neoplastic lesions. This study indicated that altered TGF‐α expression was detectable early in the development of renal cell tumors and may be an important feature of the transformed phenotype. Mol. Carcinog. 19:213–219, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.