Upregulation of the B7/CD28 family member B7-H3 in bladder cancer

Dysregulation of B7-H3 has been observed in a variety of types of human cancers. In the present study, the mRNA expression level of B7-H3 was analyzed in bladder cancer by performing semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction on clinical specimens from transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) and their normal adjacent tissues (NATs). Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to compare the protein expression level of B7-H3 in TCCs and the paired NATs. The present study indicated that the B7-H3 mRNA expression level was significantly higher in the TCC samples compared with the paired NAT samples. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analyses indicated that the B7-H3 protein expression level was significantly upregulated in the TCC samples compared with in the paired NAT samples, indicating that B7-H3 dysregulation may be important in the progression of bladder cancer.