The universal overexpression of a cancer testis antigen hiwi is associated with cancer angiogenesis.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the universal overexpression of hiwi is associated with cancer angiogenesis. The difference of mRNA expression in blood vessels derived from DLBCL and RLNH tissues was detected, and hiwi was overexpressed in tumor vessels of lymphoma. The hiwi expression in cell lines and tissues was measured by using RT-PCR and immuno-staining, as well as the Ang-2 and Tie-2 expressions in tissues. Hiwi was significantly expressed in cancer cell lines Hela, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-435s, A2780, 111 and 113. Compared with that of chronic cervicitis (CC), hyperplasia of mammary glands (HMG), ovarian benign lesions (OBL) and endometrium benign lesions (EBL), the expression of hiwi, Ang-2 and Tie-2 was increased significantly in uterine cervical cancer (UCC), breast carcinoma (BC), ovarian cancer (OC) and endometrial cancer (EC) (P<0.01). Additionally, the hiwi expression was positively correlated with Ang-2 in UCC, BC and OC, and Tie-2 in OC. These results suggest that hiwi plays an important role in the oncogenesis and is a potential target for cancer angiogenesis.