Purpose: Since there is no effective tumor marker for human renal cell carcinoma (RCC), searching for novel markers for detection and followup has clinical implications. Recent studies showed that some specific chemokines may affect angiogenesis, growth, and metastasis of RCC. However, the expression and role of CXCL14 (BRAK) in RCC were largely unknown. In this study, we studied the expression and potential role of CXCL14 (BRAK) in human RCC. Materials and Methods: CXCL14 (BRAK) expression was

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... determined by RT-PCR and real-time PCR in 5 RCC cell lines, and by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 64 pairs of RCC and adjacent normal tissues. Migration assay was done by migration chamber and Western blotting in 4 RCC cell lines. Results: RT-PCR and real-time PCR revealed that CXCL14 (BRAK) expression was significantly increased in 4 RCC than in non-tumor (HK-2) cell lines (P < 0.001). IHC study also showed that CXCL14 (BRAK) expression was significantly higher in RCC than in normal tissues (P < 0.001). In histological classification, CXCL14 (BRAK) expression was significantly higher in conventional RCC than in non-conventional RCC tissues (P ¼ 0.03). However, CXCL14 (BRAK) expression was not statistically associated with sex, nuclear grading, or TNM stage. In the migration assay, it was found that CXCL14 (BRAK) up-regulation was associated with the migration ability of 786-O cells in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: CXCL14 (BRAK) up-regulation may be involved in the tumorigenesis and migration of human RCC.