Loss of uroplakin III expression is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the expression of uroplakin III (UPIII) and the prognosis of patients with urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract, as uroplakins are urothelium-specific markers of terminal urothelial differentiation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinicopathological and follow-up data from 71 patients who had undergone radical nephroureterectomy and lymph node dissection or sampling for urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract were reviewed. The expression of UPIII was evaluated immunohistochemically in surgical specimens. Cancer-specific survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier plots. Prognostic values of clinicopathological variables including UPIII expression status, tumour stage and grade were evaluated by univariate analyses, followed by multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional-hazard model. RESULTS: In all specimens there was intense UPIII immunoreactivity of umbrella cells of normal urothelium. In tumour samples, UPIII expression was positive in 75% of < or = pT1 tumours and 40% of > or = pT2 (P = 0.02), and in 65% of grade 1-2 tumours and 33% of grade 3 (P = 0.009). Of the 71 patients, 21 died from the disease during the median follow-up of 61 months. The cancer-specific survival of patients with negative UPIII expression was significantly worse than that of those with positive UPIII expression (5-year cancer-specific survival, 100% vs 46%, P < 0.001). Neither patient age at diagnosis, histological grade, sex, or multiplicity of the tumour had significant prognostic value. Multivariate analysis revealed that UPIII expression was the most powerful prognostic indicator (P < 0.001) followed by tumour stage (P = 0.04) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: The present data suggest that UPIII expression is a powerful prognostic factor in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.     

Uroplakin gene expression in normal human tissues and locally advanced bladder cancer

The uroplakins are widely regarded as urothelium-specific markers of terminal urothelial cytodifferentiation. This study investigated the expression of the four uroplakin genes, UPIa, UPIb, UPII and UPIII, in a wide range of normal human tissues to determine tissue specificity and in advanced transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) to examine gene expression in primary and metastatic disease. In the urinary tract, all four uroplakins were expressed by urothelium and UPIII was also expressed by prostatic glandular epithelium. UPIa and UPII appeared to be urothelium-specific, but UPIb was detected in several non-urothelial tissues, including the respiratory tract, where it was associated with squamous metaplasia of tracheal and bronchial epithelia. The ten cases of primary TCC and corresponding lymph node metastases demonstrated that each uroplakin gene could be expressed at the mRNA level. No single uroplakin gene was expressed in all primary tumours or metastases, but 80% of the primary tumours and 70% of the lymph node metastases expressed at least one uroplakin gene. UPIII mRNA was often expressed in the absence of UPIII protein. These results confirm that in human tissues the expression of UPIa and UPII genes is highly specific to urothelium and suggest that the tight differentiation-restricted expression of uroplakin genes in normal urothelium is lost following malignant transformation.     

Temporal differentiation and maturation of regenerated rat urothelium

OBJECTIVE

To determine if porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS)‐regenerated urothelium expresses markers of urothelial differentiation, uroplakin and zona occludens‐1 (ZO‐1), and whether their expression correlates with the histological appearance of the urothelium.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In all, 15 rats underwent partial cystectomy and bladder replacement with SIS. Regenerated bladders were harvested at either 2, 7, 14, 28, or 56 days after SIS grafting. Histological examination with haematoxylin and eosin staining was conducted to assess tissue regeneration. Immunohistochemistry was performed with uroplakin and ZO‐1 antibodies.

RESULTS

By 14 days after SIS grafting, the urothelial layer was completely confluent over the SIS. Expression of uroplakin and ZO‐1, evident at 2 days after SIS grafting, progressed from a cytoplasmic pattern of expression to a mature pattern of cytoplasmic and membrane expression by 56 days after SIS grafting.

CONCLUSION

In vivo tissue regeneration produces histologically and phenotypically mature urothelium within 2 weeks of SIS implantation. Regeneration of functional urothelium is probably essential for the subsequent development of the remaining bladder.     

非小细胞肺癌中CD151及uroplakin 1A表达及临床意义的研究

目的探讨CD151和uroplakin 1A在非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)中的表达情况及临床意义。方法选取156例NSCLC患者(NSCLC组)和66例肺良性病变患者(肺良性病变组)。采用免疫组织化学法检测并比较CD151和uroplakin 1A在NSCLC组织和肺部良性病变组织中的表达情况,并分析其与NSCLC患者临床特征、5年生存率的关系。结果NSCLC组织中的CD151和uroplakin 1A阳性表达率均明显高于肺部良性病变组织(P﹤0.01);有吸烟史、TNM分期为Ⅲ~Ⅳ期、有淋巴结转移的NSCLC患者的CD151的阳性表达率均明显高于无吸烟史、TNM分期为Ⅰ~Ⅱ期、无淋巴结转移的NSCLC患者(P﹤0.01);有吸烟史、肿瘤直径﹥2 cm、TNM分期为Ⅲ~Ⅳ期、有淋巴结转移的NSCLC患者的uroplakin 1A的阳性表达率均明显高于无吸烟史、肿瘤直径≤2 cm、TNM分期为Ⅰ~Ⅱ期、无淋巴结转移的患者(P﹤0.01);不同组织分化程度、病理学分型的NSCLC患者的CD151和uroplakin 1A的阳性表达率比较,差异均有统计学意义(P﹤0.01)。CD151及uroplakin 1A同时阳性表达的NSCLC患者80例,同时阴性表达的患者26例,CD151阴性、uroplakin 1A阳性或者CD151阳性、uroplakin 1A阴性的患者50例;CD151阳性表达和uroplakin 1A阳性表达呈正相关(r=0.297,P﹤0.01);CD151和uroplakin 1A同时阳性表达和同时阴性表达的NSCLC患者的5年生存率分别为0和19.2%,CD151阴性、uroplakin 1A阳性或者CD151阳性、uroplakin 1A阴性的NSCLC患者的5年生存率为12.0%;CD151和uroplakin 1A同时阳性表达的NSCLC患者的5年生存率低于上述另两种情况(P﹤0.05)。结论与肺部良性病变比较,NSCLC患者的CD151和uroplakin 1A的阳性表达率更高,且其表达情况与NSCLC患者的临床特征及5年生存率有关,有利于指导多学科综合治疗,可能成为评估NSCLC患者预后的指标。     

Inverse expression of uroplakins and inducible nitric oxide synthase in the urothelium of patients with bladder outlet obstruction

OBJECTIVE: To assess the expression and distribution of uroplakins, protein subunits of the asymmetric unit membrane (AUM), and inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) in the urinary bladder urothelium of patients with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Urinary bladder urothelium samples from 15 men (mean age 69 years) with BOO secondary to BPH were processed for light and electron immunocytochemistry. Uroplakins and iNOS were detected, and areas of apical surface covered with AUM were compared with those of iNOS-positive urothelial cells. RESULTS: Areas of superficial urothelial cells with no AUM were found in all obstructed bladder samples. The immuno-electron microscopy showed that the uroplakin-positive cells had the characteristic appearance of terminally differentiated umbrella cells, whereas cells from the uroplakin-negative regions were undifferentiated, typically showing microvilli on their apical surface. iNOS was not detected in areas with continuous AUM staining, but was readily detected in the uroplakin-negative areas. There was an inverse correlation between the intensity of uroplakin and iNOS staining. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with BOO associated with BPH, some superficial urothelial cells lacked the AUM, suggesting focal compromise of the blood-urine permeability barrier. In such relatively undifferentiated urothelial zones there was an accompanying increase in the expression of iNOS, which marks perturbed urothelial differentiation and may modulate bladder response to the outlet obstruction.     

中国人尿路斑块蛋白Ib组织特异性及其启动子的克隆与鉴定

目的:研究中国人尿路斑块蛋白Ib的组织特异性并克隆与鉴定其启动子。方法:RT-PCR检测32例膀胱癌、16例正常膀胱粘膜、15例正常小肠粘膜、16例正常食道粘膜、19例正常肾实质、20例正常肝实质、8例正常皮肤及8例正常心肌标本中尿路斑块蛋白Ib的表达。以人正常膀胱粘膜为材料提取基因组DNA,克隆尿路斑块蛋白Ib启动子片段,并凝胶电泳和测序鉴定。结果:所有正常膀胱粘膜标本、16例分化Ⅰ级膀胱癌中有15例(93.8%)、9例分化Ⅱ级膀胱癌中有7例(77.8%)、7例分化Ⅲ级膀胱癌中有4例(57.1%)检测到尿路斑块蛋白Ib表达,而正常食道粘膜、小肠粘膜、肾实质、肝实质、皮肤、心肌标本均未检测到尿路斑块蛋白Ib表达。中国人尿路斑块蛋白Ib234bp的启动子被克隆并完成鉴定。结论:中国人尿路斑块蛋白Ib具有高度尿路移行上皮特异性,加上其启动子短小,尿路斑块蛋白Ib启动子非常适合膀胱癌的靶向基因治疗研究。我们成功克隆出中国人尿路斑块蛋白Ib启动子片段,为后续研究奠定了基础。