Expression of SNAIL mRNA in uterine cervical cancer is detected by real-time PCR

Objective To investigate the expression pattern and significance of zinc-finger transcription factor SNAIL on transcriptional level, which expressed in human cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Methods With using real-time PCR, the expression of mRNA for SNAIL was studied in 5 cervical cancer in situ, 55 invasive cervical cancers, 14 normal cervical tissues and 3 cervical cancer cell lines including HeLa, SiHa and C33A. A analysis was made for the relationship between changes of SNAIL mRNA expression and different clinicopathologic parameters of invasive cervical cancer. Results The level of SNAIL mRNA expression in normal cervical tissues, cervical cancers in situ and invasive cancers was 0. 01 ± 0. 01, 0. 08 ± 0. 05 or 0. 09 ± 0. 07, respectively. The expression of SNAIL was higher in cervical cancer in situ and invasive cervical cancer than in normal cervical tissue (P <0. 05). There was no evident change of SNAIL mRNA expression among different FIGO stage, histological differentiation, invasion depth and lymph node metastasis state. SNAIL mRNA expression in SiHa cell line was significantly higher than that in HeLa and C33A cell lines (0. 18±0. 05, 0. 06± 0. 06 and 0. 09±0. 08, respectively, P<0. 05). Conclusion SNAIL is probably associated with the initiation and progression of cervical cancer and seems to be a promising candidate marker in early stage cervical cancer.