| dc.description.abstract | Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is an important endocrine hormone of the pituitary affecting metabolism, development, and immunity. However, TSH has lesser known roles in other bodily processes. Cells of the peripheral immune system are known to produce TSH, and epithelial tissues in the intestine and dermis have also been found to express TSH. We hypothesized that TSH may play a role in the mechanism of action of human papilloma virus infection in cervical epithelia, and subsequent tumorigenesis. As a first step in testing that hypothesis, the objective of this project was to evaluate human cervicalYderived epithelial cell lines for endogenous TSH production. We examined TSH expression in four cell lines that included cells derived from normal epithelium (Ect1) and three cervical cancer cell lines (C33A, HeLa, SW756). Three of the cell lines (Ect1, HeLa, SW756) were also positive for human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. The expression of TSH mRNA and protein in human cervical epithelial cells was demonstrated for the first time in this study. Physical data generated show strong evidence that TSH is produced in several cervical epithelial cell lines. The ILY7 protein was also present in all cell lines, consistent with findings in other tissue types. The data in this experiment also suggested a possible relationship between TSH expression and the presence of HPV infection. This research establishes a foundation for further research to address the functional role of TSH in cervical epithelium. | en |
