Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), a 45-kDa tumor-associated serpin, mainly consists of two highly homologous molecules, SCCA1 and SCCA2, which possess unique proteinase inhibitory properties. Importantly, our previous study demonstrated that an intact structure of SCCAs, and not a cleaved form yielded by interacting with target proteinase, is essential for their function as a serpin. The aim of this study is therefore, to develop a simple method of analyzing expression patterns of intact forms of SCCAs (functional SCCAs) in cervical squamous epithelial tissues and to investigate whether there are any differences in the expression of intact forms of SCCAs between normal and malignant cervical squamous epithelial tissues. We used nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) with immunoblotting. The newly generated antibody, Pab Y2, recognizes only intact form of SCCAs, while the conventional antibody, Mab 27, reacts with the cleaved form of SCCA1 as well as intact forms of SCCAs. Nondenaturing PAGE using Pab Y2 showed that an intact form of SCCAs in the heat-treated tissue extract at 60°C for 2 h was separated into at least five bands, termed as bands A-E from cathode to anode. By comparison with two-dimensional electrophoresis patterns of SCCAs, it was found that the first three bands, i.e. bands A-C, are derived from the intact form of SCCA1, while the other two bands, i.e. band D and E are from the intact form of SCCA2. Specifically, band E, but not band D, of SCCA2 is apparently increased in squamous cell carcinomas compared with normal squamous epithelium. In conclusion, this novel analytical approach will be useful for investigating the different expression patterns of functional SCCAs between normal and malignant cervical squamous epithelial tissues.

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