Objective: Novel biological markers LRIG1 and LRIG2 have been associated with favorable as well as poor prognosis, respectively, in different cancer types, including cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate possible interactions between these proteins and other tumor markers, and as diagnostic adjuncts in CIN.
Methods: Cervical biopsies from 171 women, with normal epithelium, and low-grade and high-grade CIN were stained for LRIG1 and LRIG2, and 11 additional tumor markers. The tumor markers were chosen to be relevant in cervical neoplasms. Staining was evaluated semiquantitatively.
Results: Expression of LRIG1 and LRIG2 was found to correlate with increasing CIN grade, as well as with expression of tumor suppressor FHIT, independent of histological grade. In addition, tumor promoter LRIG2 expression correlated negatively with expression of tumor suppressor retinoblastoma protein and positively with IL-10. The latter correlation did not however remain after adjustment for CIN grade. p53 and p16 expressions correlated positively with LRIG1 expression in univariate analyses, but significance did not hold after adjustment for CIN grade.
Conclusion: LRIG1 and LRIG2 expressions were seen in precancerous cervical epithelium and found to increase with increasing grade. There was an association between expression of these glycoproteins and FHIT tumor suppressor protein, independently of histological grade.
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