29 research outputs found
Hepatocyte nuclear factor-1B(HNF-1B) in human urogenital organs, Its expression and role in embryogenesis and tumorigenesis
Molecules responsible for embryogenesis are
often involved in tumorigenesis. Recent exhaustive
cDNA microarray analyses in human neoplasms
expanded knowledge of such molecules. Hepatocyte
nuclear factor-1ß (HNF-1ß) is a homeobox transcription
factor that functions as a homodimer or heterodimer with
HNF-1a. In contrast to HNF-1a, HNF-1ß is very weakly
expressed in the liver and is commonly expressed in the
kidneys. During human embryonic stage, HNF-1ß plays
an important role in organogenesis, especially of the
urogenital system. In the human fetus, HNF-1ß
expression is common in mesonephric duct derivatives
and metanephros (permanent kidneys). HNF-1ß
germline mutations cause malformations of these
structures. Recent microarray analyses have disclosed
that HNF-1ß is aberrantly up-regulated in clear cell
carcinoma of the ovary, which is a carcinoma of
müllerian nature, but which was initially misnamed
“mesonephroma”. HNF-1ß is also expressed in ovarian
endometriosis, which is a probable origin of clear cell
carcinoma. On the other hand, HNF-1ß is downregulated
in renal neoplasms, such as chromophobe cell
carcinoma. In this review, we first summarize HNF-1ß
expression in the developing urogenital system of the
human embryo. Then, we describe the HNF-1ß status in
human urogenital neoplasms and discuss its role in
tumorigenesis