TY - JOUR
T1 - Human cytomegalovirus infection induces high expression of prolactin and prolactin receptors in ovarian cancer
AU - Rahbar, Afsar
AU - Alkharusi, Amira
AU - Costa, Helena
AU - Pantalone, Mattia Russel
AU - Kostopoulou, Ourania N.
AU - Cui, Huanhuan L.
AU - Carlsson, Joseph
AU - Rådestad, Angelique Flöter
AU - Söderberg‐naucler, Cecilia
AU - Norstedt, Gunnar
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2020/3
Y1 - 2020/3
N2 - One of the potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer patients is high serum level of prolactin (PRL), which is a growth factor that may promote tumor cell growth. The prolactin receptor (PRLR) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) proteins are frequently detected in ovarian tumor tissue specimens, but the potential impact of HCMV infection on the PRL system have so far not been investigated. In this study, HCMV’s effects on PRL and PRLR expression were assessed in infected ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3) by PCR and Western blot techniques. The levels of both PRL and PRLR transcripts as well as the corresponding proteins were highly increased in HCMV‐infected SKOV3 cells. Tissue specimens obtained from 10 patients with ovarian cancer demonstrated high expression of PRLR, HCMV‐IE, and pp65 proteins. Extensive expression of PRLR was detected in all examined ovarian tumor tissue specimens except for one from a patient who had focal expression of PRLR and this patient was HCMV‐negative in her tumor. In conclusion, PRL and PRLR were induced to high levels in HCMV‐infected ovarian cancer cells and PRLR expression was extensively detected in HCMV‐infected ovarian tissue specimens. Highly induced PRL and PRLR by HCMV infection may be of relevance for the oncomodulatory role of this virus in ovarian cancer.
AB - One of the potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer patients is high serum level of prolactin (PRL), which is a growth factor that may promote tumor cell growth. The prolactin receptor (PRLR) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) proteins are frequently detected in ovarian tumor tissue specimens, but the potential impact of HCMV infection on the PRL system have so far not been investigated. In this study, HCMV’s effects on PRL and PRLR expression were assessed in infected ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3) by PCR and Western blot techniques. The levels of both PRL and PRLR transcripts as well as the corresponding proteins were highly increased in HCMV‐infected SKOV3 cells. Tissue specimens obtained from 10 patients with ovarian cancer demonstrated high expression of PRLR, HCMV‐IE, and pp65 proteins. Extensive expression of PRLR was detected in all examined ovarian tumor tissue specimens except for one from a patient who had focal expression of PRLR and this patient was HCMV‐negative in her tumor. In conclusion, PRL and PRLR were induced to high levels in HCMV‐infected ovarian cancer cells and PRLR expression was extensively detected in HCMV‐infected ovarian tissue specimens. Highly induced PRL and PRLR by HCMV infection may be of relevance for the oncomodulatory role of this virus in ovarian cancer.
KW - HCMV
KW - Ovarian cancer
KW - Prolactin
KW - Prolactin receptor
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85081225806&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/biology9030044
DO - 10.3390/biology9030044
M3 - Article
C2 - 32121009
AN - SCOPUS:85081225806
SN - 2079-7737
VL - 9
JO - Biology
JF - Biology
IS - 3
M1 - 44
ER -
