Expression of KLF4 in cervical carcinoma and its significance

Objective: To investigate the expression of KLF4 in cervical carcinoma and its significance. Methods: Immunohistochemistry and tissue microarray were used to examine the expression of KLF4 in 39 cases of carcinoma, 30 cases of normal cervical epithelial tissues and 28 cases of cervical cancer in situ. Results: Moderate to strong nuclear staining for KLF4 was found in normal tissues and cervical cancer in situ. Interestingly, KLF4 expression was lost in 16 (P<0.05) of 39 carcinoma cases. However, KLF4 expression was not associated with clinicopathologic parameters, including tumor stage and differentiation. Conclusion: Our observations indicate that KLF4 may function as a tumor suppressor in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer.