PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - MARKOS KARAVITAKIS
AU  - PAVLOS MSAOUEL
AU  - VASSILIS MICHALOPOULOS
AU  - MICHAEL KOUTSILIERIS
TI  - Pattern of Somatostatin Receptors Expression in Normal and Bladder Cancer Tissue Samples
DP  - 2014 Jun 01
TA  - Anticancer Research
PG  - 2937--2942
VI  - 34
IP  - 6
4099  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/34/6/2937.short
4100  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/34/6/2937.full
SO  - Anticancer Res2014 Jun 01; 34
AB  - Background/Aim: Known risks factors for bladder cancer progression and recurrence are limited regarding their prognostic ability. Therefore identification of molecular determinants of disease progression could provide with more specific prognostic information and could be translated into new approaches for biomarker development. In the present study we evaluated, the expression patterns of somatostatin receptors 1-5 (SSTRs) in normal and tumor bladder tissues. Materials and Methods: The expression of SSTR1-5 was characterized in 45 normal and bladder cancer tissue samples using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: SSTR1 was expressed in 24 samples, SSTR2 in 15, SSTR3 in 23, SSTR4 in 16 and SSTR5 in all but one sample. Bladder cancer tissue samples expressed lower levels of SSTR3. Co-expression of SSTRs was associated with superficial disease. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that there is expression of SSTR in normal and bladder cancer urothelium. Further studies are required to evaluate the prognostic and therapeutic significance of these findings.