Protein kinase C was found to be significantly over-expressed in
cancer samples compared to adjacent normal cervical tissues by proteomics in our previous study. The aim of this study was to examine
protein kinase C expression and to analyze the expression patterns of
protein kinase C isoforms in squamous
cervical cancer at the
protein levels and their associations with clinical and pathologic factors of squamous
cervical cancer. First, Western blotting was used to examine
protein kinase C expression in the specimens of
tumors and matched adjacent normal tissues which were collected from 12 patients with squamous
cervical cancer.
Protein kinase C isoforms (α, δ, θ and ζ) expression were then detected by immunohistochemistry in other 43 cases of squamous
cervical cancer tissues, 32 cases of corresponding adjacent normal cervical squamous epithelial tissue and 31 cases of
cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Western blot analysis revealed that
protein kinase C expression was positive in squamous
cervical cancer while it was not expressed in normal cervical tissues. On the other hand, immunohistochemical analysis suggested that,
protein kinase C isoforms (α, δ, θ and ζ) expression was significantly higher in squamous
cervical cancer compared to
cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, as well as in
cervical intraepithelial neoplasia compared with normal tissues, respectively.High levels of
protein kinase C α expression were associated with cellular differentiation(P<0.05).
Protein kinase C δ was significantly associated with
tumor stage (P<0.05) and
protein kinase C ζ was associated with
lymphatic metastasis (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that
protein kinase C isoforms expression in cervical lesions was associated with
carcinogenesis and might play important roles throughout the process of
cervical cancer development.