Significance of nuclear hTra2-beta1 expression in cervical cancer

Objective. Human Tra2-beta1, a member of the serine/arginine-rich splicing factors, is involved in C/A-dependent mRNA processing and regulation of gene expression. Since several genes involved in cervical carcinogenesis are alternatively spliced and contain C/A rich elements, we aimed to analyze hTra2-beta1 expression and subcellular localization in tumor tissue of women with cervical cancer and to determine its clinical significance. Design. Retrospective study. Setting. Tertiary-care academic medical center. Sample. One hundred and five patients with cervical cancer and a mean follow up time of 73.1 months. Methods. Immunohistochemistry of paraffin-embedded tissues was performed and hTra2-beta1 expression was correlated with clinico-pathological variables including patient outcome. Results. Cytoplasmic hTra2-beta1 protein expression was found in 20% of cases, while all tumors revealed nuclear immunoreactivity with strong expression in 54.3% of cases. There was a significant inverse correlation between n...