title: [Expression of GST-pi gene in human esophageal carcinogenesis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible role of GST-pi in esophageal carcinogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  GST-pi expression at mRNA level was studied by in situ hybridization (ISH) and at protein level by immunohistochemistry (IHC). GST-pi expression of the esophagus in normal epithelial cells (NC), hyperplastic cells (HC), dysplastic cells (DC) from grade I to III, carcinoma in-situ (CIS) and invasive carcinoma (IC) was examined in the same esophageal cancer specimens (n = 48) which provided a model reflecting the process of esophageal carcinogenesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rate of IHC staining was 87.5% for NC, 95.3% for HC, 55.9% for DC (grade I: 73.9%, grade II: 47.4%, grade III: 41.2%), 36.4% for CIS and 45.8% for IC. The positive rate of GST-pi mRNA expression was 81.2% for NC, 94.4% for HC, 61.9% for DC (grade I: 76.5%, grade II: 61.5%, grade III: 41.7%), 44.4% for CIS and 83.3% for grade I IC, 30.0% for grade II IC and 0% for grade III IC. There was no statistically significant difference in GST-pi expression at the mRNA and the protein level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a decreasing tendency of GST-pi expression from dysplasia to CIS and IC. The decrease in GST-pi expression is an early event in esophageal carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital, Henan Medical University, Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Pathology, Zhengzhou 450052.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D051549:Glutathione S-Transferase pi; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; C496556:GSTP1 protein, human; D051549:Glutathione S-Transferase pi; D005982:Glutathione Transferase