Overexpression of Aurora-A promotes laryngeal cancer progression by enhancing invasive ability and chromosomal instability.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the expression of Aurora-A in human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and to explore the effects of Aurora-A silencing on invasion and chromosomal instability in laryngeal cancer HEp-2 cells. The expression of Aurora-A mRNA and protein were studied using reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot in LSCC tissues and corresponding normal epithelium, respectively. In addition, the correlation between Aurora-A expression and clinicopathologic characteristics was analyzed in LSCC patients. Furthermore, HEp-2 cells were transfected with Aurora-A short hairpin RNA and the effects of knockdown of Aurora-A on tumor invasion and chromosomal instability were investigated. The results showed that expression of Aurora-A mRNA was significantly upregulated in laryngeal tumor tissue compared with that in normal tissue (P = 0.001), and overexpression of Aurora-A was found in 64.0% (16 of 25) of the patients by Western blotting. Upregulation of Aurora-A mRNA was significantly correlated with regional lymph node metastasis (P = 0.007) and clinical stage III/IV (P = 0.022). Overexpression of Aurora-A was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.027). Furthermore, disruption of Aurora-A using RNA interference technique suppressed invasive ability and chromosomal instability in HEp-2 cells. In conclusion, Aurora-A expression is elevated in human LSCC and associated with regional lymph node metastasis and late clinical stage. Overexpression of Aurora-A may contribute to LSCC carcinogenesis and progression partially due to enhancement of invasion ability and chromosomal instability.

• Authors: Hao Zhang, Xuehua Chen, Yuesheng Jin, Bingya Liu, Liang Zhou
• Journal: European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol) Vol. 269 Issue 2 Pg. 607-14 (Feb 2012) ISSN: 1434-4726 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 21584819 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• RNA, Messenger
• Aurora Kinases
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases

Topics

• Aged
• Aurora Kinases
• Blotting, Western
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (genetics, pathology)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Chromosomal Instability (genetics)
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Gene Silencing
• Humans
• Laryngeal Neoplasms (genetics, pathology)
• Larynx (pathology)
• Lymphatic Metastasis (genetics, pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Invasiveness (genetics, pathology)
• Neoplasm Staging
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases (genetics)
• RNA, Messenger (genetics)
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Up-Regulation (genetics)