Cyclin is a family of regulatory proteins that play a key role in controlling the cell cycle. Abnormalities of cell cycle regulators, including cyclins and cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs), have been reported in malignant tumors. This study was undertaken to quantitatively detect cyclin B1 and D1 in cervical cancer.

A quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis were used to analyze the expression of cyclin B1, D1 mRNA and proteins, respectively, in fresh invasive cervical cancer (n=41) and normal cervix tissue (n=10).

There was significantly greater cyclin B1 expression in invasive cervical cancer than in normal cervix tissue (p=0.019). However, cyclin D1 expression was not significantly different (p=0.967). A Western blot analysis yielded similar results.

Our results were consistent with the concept that up-regulation of cyclin B1 expression occurred in cervical cancer and an aberrant expression of cyclin B1 might play an important role in cervical carcinogenesis.