In the present pilot study, we examined the presence of serglycin in lung, breast, prostate, and colon cancer and evaluated its expression in cell lines and tissues. We found that serglycin was expressed and constitutively secreted in culture medium in high levels in more aggressive cancer cells.
It is worth noticing that aggressive cancer cells that harbor KRAS or EGFR mutations secreted serglycin constitutively in elevated levels. Furthermore, we detected the transcription of an alternative splice variant of serglycin lacking exon 2 in specific cell lines. In a limited number of tissue samples analyzed, serglycin was detected in normal epithelium but was also expressed in higher levels in advanced grade tumors as shown by immunohistochemistry. Serglycin staining was diffuse, granular, and mainly cytoplasmic. In some cancer cells serglycin also exhibited membrane and/or nuclear immunolocalization. Interestingly, the stromal cells of the reactive tumor stroma were positive for serglycin, suggesting an enhanced biosynthesis for this proteoglycan in activated tumor microenvironment. Our study investigated for first time the distribution of serglycin in normal epithelial and cancerous lesions in most common cancer types. The elevated levels of serglycin in aggressive cancer and stromal cells may suggest a key role for serglycin in disease progression.
BioMed research international. 2015 Oct 25 [Epub]
Angeliki Korpetinou, Dionysios J Papachristou, Angeliki Lampropoulou, Panagiotis Bouris, Vassiliki T Labropoulou, Argyrios Noulas, Nikos K Karamanos, Achilleas D Theocharis
Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece. , Department of Anatomy/Histology/Embryology, Unit of Bone and Soft Tissue Studies, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece. , Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece. , Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece. , Hematology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece. , School of Health Professions, Department of Medical Laboratories, Technological Educational Institute of Larissa, 41110 Larissa, Greece. , Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece. , Biochemistry, Biochemical Analysis & Matrix Pathobiology Research Group, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece.