Methylation Status of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Promoter in Benign and Malignant Adrenal Tumors

Figure 2

Expression of VDR in normal human adrenals, in adrenocortical adenomas (ACAs), and in adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs). (a) Individual mRNA levels and means (horizontal bars) of VDR, measured by qPCR, in normal adrenals (), ACAs (), and ACCs (). (b) VDR immunoblot (above) in representative cases of a normal adrenal (NA), ACAs, and ACCs, and individual VDR/β-actin protein levels (below) in normal adrenals, ACAs, and ACCs. (c) Correlation between VDR mRNA and VDR protein levels in all tissue samples, including normal and neoplastic adrenal. (d) Immunohistochemical staining of VDR in a normal adrenal (left panel), one ACA (central panel), and one methylated ACC (right panel), showing clear VDR expression in NA, in a cortisol-producing ACA, in both the nucleus and predominantly the cytoplasm, and very weak VDR expression, limited to rare cells, in a cortisol-producing ACC. Sections were counterstained with hematoxylin. Black dots indicate methylated tissue samples. Mann-Whitney -test ACAs versus ACCs. ; . Spearman correlation ; .

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