Expression of integrin β1 and its significance in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix

The aim of the present study was to examine the expression of integrin beta 1 in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the cervix and its association with the clinicopathological features of patients. The expression of integrin beta 1 in 87 SCC cervical tissues and 32 normal cervical tissues was detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blot analysis and the immunohistochemical streptavidin-peroxidase method. Integrin beta 1 expression was greater in SCC cervical tissues compared with that in normal cervical tissues (P<0.05), and its mean expression level in the SCC cervical tissues was also markedly higher compared with that in the normal cervical tissues (P<0.05). In terms of the association between the expression of integrin beta 1 with clinicopathological features, patients with stage IIA SCC had higher integrin beta 1 positive rates compared with patients with stage I SCC (P<0.05). The integrin beta 1 positive rates in SCC tissues with histological grade 3 were also significantly higher than that in the SCC tissues with histological grade 1 (P<0.05). Furthermore, patients with cervical SCC with lymph node metastasis showed increased integrin beta 1 positive expression compared with those without lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). In conclusion, the expression of integrin beta 1 protein in cervical SCC tissues was significantly higher than that in the normal cervical tissues, and it increased with the clinical stage and the degree of malignancy.