Expression of nitrotyrosine is associated with angiogenesis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
In our previous study, it was suggested that nitrotyrosine, a product of nitrogen species, found in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), may contribute to the progression of esophageal cancer.


METHODS
To clarify whether nitrotyrosine expression is associated with apoptosis and/or angiogenic factors in ESCC, we have analyzed the relationship between nitrotyrosine presence and the apoptosis-related proteins, Bcl-2 and Bax, or CD34, the marker of vascular endothelial cells, by an immunohistochemical approach.


RESULTS
Nitrotyrosine was detected in 21 out of 55 esophageal cancers. The correlation between nitrotyrosine presence and Bcl-2, Bax expression or apoptotic index (AI) was not significant. In contrast, nitrotyrosine presence was significantly correlated with the microvessel density (MVD); nitrotyrosine-positive specimens tended to show a high MAD, while nitrotyrosine-negative specimens tended to be associated with a low MVD (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that NO induces progression of esophageal carcinoma through its effect on angiogenesis, rather than its effect on tumor apoptosis.
Kato
H
H
Department of Surgery I, Gunma University Faculty of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan. hiroyuki@po.wind.ne.jp
Miyazaki
T
T
Yoshikawa
M
M
Nakajima
M
M
Fukai
Y
Y
Masuda
N
N
Ojima
H
H
Tsukada
K
K
Nishida
Y
Y
Kuwano
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
D018952:Antigens, CD34; C494826:BAX protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C002744:3-nitrotyrosine; D014443:Tyrosine