Basaloid squamous carcinoma of the esophagus with analysis by in situ nick end labeling and PCNA immunostaining.
OBJECTIVE
Basaloid squamous carcinoma (BSC) of the esophagus has been associated with poor outcome after surgery. In this study, apoptosis and cell proliferation of BSC were studied to evaluate the malignant potential of this cancer.


METHODS
In tissue samples from 4 out of 5 BSC patients (1 patient with pre-operative radiotherapy was excluded) and from 30 patients with squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the esophagus, apoptosis was studied by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL), and cell proliferation was evaluated by the immunostaining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Two of the 5 patients with BSC died of recurrence and the remaining 2 patients are alive without recurrence.


RESULTS
TUNEL-positive cells and PCNA-positive cells were observed to exist randomly and independently in the BSC samples. In the well- and moderately differentiated SCCs, TUNEL-positive cells and PCNA-positive cells were locally observed. The apoptotic index was significantly lower in the BSC than in the SCC tissues, and the PCNA labeling index was significantly higher in BSC than in SCC.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that BSC of the esophagus has great proliferative activity and weak apoptosis. These characteristics may reflect the aggressive behavior and poor prognosis of esophageal BSC. Early detection of this tumor, as in the present 2 cases, will contribute to a better prognosis.
Koide
N
N
Second Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
Koike
S
S
Watanabe
H
H
Yazawa
K
K
Adachi
W
W
Amano
J
J
D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D002281:Carcinoma, Basosquamous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen
D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen