Kontani K, Sawai S, Hanaoka J, Tezuka N, Inoue S, Fujino S
Second Department of Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan.
Eur J Surg Oncol. 2001 Mar;27(2):180-6. doi: 10.1053/ejso.2000.1060.
Granzyme B and perforin, which are contained in cytotoxic granules produced by tumour-infiltrating immune cells, have been reported to be involved in suppression of cancer progression. In this study, the relationship between expression of these molecules and clinical factors in cancer patients was studied.
Tumour tissue obtained from 23 breast cancer patients and 13 lung cancer patients were examined for expression of granzyme B, perforin and B7-1, using an immunohistochemical technique. The percentage of cells positive for expression of these molecules and the clinical status of each case were compared.
Both granzyme B and perforin were distributed in the cytoplasm of cancer cells in many cases rather than in tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes. This was observed even in cases of early-stage tumours. In both breast and lung cancer patients, the percentage of cells positive for granzyme B and perforin expression was inversely correlated with the status of regional node metastasis. A competitive RT-PCR analysis confirmed that the expression of mRNA from these molecules extracted from the tumours was consistent with the immunohistochemical results.
Granzyme B and perforin may play a role in the suppression of nodal metastasis of cancer cells in breast and lung cancers.
据报道，肿瘤浸润免疫细胞产生的细胞毒性颗粒中所含的颗粒酶B和穿孔素与抑制癌症进展有关。在本研究中，对这些分子的表达与癌症患者临床因素之间的关系进行了研究。
采用免疫组织化学技术，检测了23例乳腺癌患者和13例肺癌患者肿瘤组织中颗粒酶B、穿孔素和B7-1的表达。比较了这些分子表达阳性细胞的百分比和各病例的临床状况。
在许多病例中，颗粒酶B和穿孔素均分布于癌细胞的细胞质中，而非肿瘤浸润淋巴细胞中。即使在早期肿瘤病例中也观察到这种情况。在乳腺癌和肺癌患者中，颗粒酶B和穿孔素表达阳性细胞的百分比与区域淋巴结转移状况呈负相关。竞争性逆转录聚合酶链反应分析证实，从肿瘤中提取的这些分子的mRNA表达与免疫组织化学结果一致。
颗粒酶B和穿孔素可能在抑制乳腺癌和肺癌癌细胞的淋巴结转移中发挥作用。
