Activating transcription factor 3 is not up-regulated in hypospadias patients in Japan

• Published in: African journal of paediatric surgery Vol. 10; no. 4; pp. 371 - 373
• Main Authors: Takahashi, Toshiaki, Shimotakahara, Akihiro, Miyahara, Katsumi, Lane, Geoffrey, Yamataka, Atsuyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Medknow Publications 01.10.2013; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Activating transcription factor 3; Causes of; Child, Preschool; DNA - genetics; environmental factor; Follow-Up Studies; Genetic aspects; Genetic regulation; Health aspects; Humans; Hypospadias; Hypospadias - epidemiology; Hypospadias - genetics; Hypospadias - metabolism; Immunohistochemistry; Incidence; Japan - epidemiology; Male; Medical research; Proteins; Retrospective Studies; Studies; Surgery; Transcription Factor 3 - biosynthesis; Transcription Factor 3 - genetics; Transcription factors; Up-Regulation; Japan; hypospadias; Activating transcription factor 3; environmental factor
• DOI: 10.4103/0189-6725.125451
• ISSN: 0189-6725; 0974-5998

Background: The aetiology of hypospadias is largely uncharacterized. Some of the researchers have advocated that activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), an oestrogen-responsive transcription factor, is up-regulated in patients with hypospadias. The purpose is to evaluate the universality of this fact; we studied the expression of ATF3 protein in prepuce tissue obtained from hypospadias and phimosis patients living in metropolitan Tokyo. Materials and Methods: Prepuce tissue was obtained from outer foreskin at the time of surgery, quickly prepared for paraffin-embedded sectioning and stained immunohistochemically for ATF3. Two researchers blindly evaluated immunoreactivity and scored it semi-quantitatively as nil = 0, weak = 1, or strong = 2, to give a final staining intensity score (SIS). Subjects were 18 hypospadias patients and 17 phimosis patients (as controls) who had surgery between January, 2009 and March, 2010. Results: All subjects lived in metropolitan Tokyo, Japan. Mean ages at surgery were 2.9 ± 1.0 and 3.9 ± 2.4 years, respectively (P > 0.05). SIS was not statistically different between hypospadias patients (1.4 ± 0.5) and controls (1.5 ± 0.5), (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Our data suggest that ATF3 is not highly associated with hypospadias in metropolitan Tokyo. Differences in ethnicity might have influenced our results.