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Background: Our previous study suggests that decreased P-450c17α expression correlated with the overproduction of aldosterone in APA and nodular hyperplasia in patients with primary aldosteronism. This study was performed to further investigate if P-450c11β contributes to the overproduction of aldosterone in APA and nodular hyperplasia tissues
Methods: Total RNA and protein were extracted from 7 cases of APA tissue, 3 nodular hyperplasia tissues, 7 normal adrenal glands. P-450c11β mRNA was examined by dot blot and confirmed by Northern blot analysis and by realtime PCR. Protein expression level of P-450c11β was also investigated by immunohistochemical staining and confirmed by Western blot.
Results: The relative expression level of P-450c11β mRNA to β-actin in APA, nodular hyperplasia and the normal adrenal gland group are 47±22 %, 55±13 %, 64±16 % respectively by dot blot and are 94±18 %, 101±20 %, 112±62 % respectively by Northern blot. These results are further confirmed by realtime PCR. This result was also supported by the relative protein expression level of P-450c11β to β-actin, which are 118±15 %, 107±32 %, 108±22 % respectively evaluated by Western blot. There was no significant difference in protein expression level of P-450c11β among the normal adrenal gland tissues, APA and adrenal nodular hyperplasia tissue, either (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: These results suggest that P-450c11β is not a key contributor to the overproduction of aldosterone in APA and nodular hyperplasia and can not be considered as a potential marker to differentiate between them in patients with primary aldosteronism.
DOI: Clin. Lab. 2011;57:245-251
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