Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein expression in the normal human brain and intracranial tumors.

Abstract

In this study we found the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mRNA and protein in both the normal human brain and intracranial tumors, using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. StAR mRNA is expressed at a very low level in the white matter of the normal human brain, but in tumoral tissues StAR mRNA was specifically expressed in oligodendrogliomas and malignant glial tumors. StAR-positive cells were also detected in the normal human brains and gliomas; its frequency and density were higher in glioma tissue. These findings suggest that StAR expression might be correlated with the growth of glial tumors.

• Authors: Hyun Joon Kim, Jeong Eun Kim, Myung Ha, Sang Soo Kang, Jong Tae Kim, In Sung Park, Sun Ha Paek, Hee-Won Jung, Dong Gyu Kim, Gyeong Jae Cho, Wan Sung Choi
• Journal: Brain research (Brain Res) Vol. 978 Issue 1-2 Pg. 245-9 (Jul 18 2003) ISSN: 0006-8993 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 12834921 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
• Phosphoproteins
• RNA, Messenger
• steroidogenic acute regulatory protein

Topics

• Brain (anatomy & histology, metabolism)
• Brain Neoplasms (genetics, metabolism)
• Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (metabolism)
• Glioma (classification, genetics, metabolism)
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Phosphoproteins (genetics, metabolism)
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (methods)