Opposed expression of IKK': Loss in keratinizing carcinomas and gain in non-keratinizing carcinomas

Abstract

The functional role of IKK' in vivo is pretty complicated, largely due to its diverse functions through cell autonomous and non-autonomous manners. In addition, most of the studies on IKK' were derived from animal models, whether these findings hold true in human tumors remain unclear. Here we examined the expression of IKK' in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which includes non-keratinizing carcinoma and keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, and lung squamous cell carcinoma with keratinization and non-keratinization. We demonstrated that IKK' expression was almost negative in keratinizing cancer and higher expression of IKK' was found in non-keratinizing cancer, and that IKK' expression correlateed with cellular differentiation of tumors in non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma. These findings demonstrate that IKK' is diversely expressed in keratinizing and non-keratinizing carcinomas in the same type of cancer.