title: Decreased expression of DFF45/ICAD is correlated with a poor prognosis in patients with esophageal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  DNA fragmentation factor 45 (DFF45)/inhibotor of caspase activated DNAse (ICAD) forms a complex with DFF40/CAD and inhibits its DNA cleaving function during apoptosis. DFF45 also functions as a chaperone for native DFF40 and is necessary for its function. It has been indicated that defects in the apoptotic pathway may exist in neoplastic cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors investigated mRNA expression of DFF45 in a series of 46 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) specimens using polymerase chain reaction amplification. The results were correlated with the patients' clinicopathologic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DFF45 mRNA expression was significantly lower in tumors with higher pathologic stage, higher tumor status (T status), lymph node metastasis, or more extensive lymphatic invasion. Patients who had low DFF45 mRNA expression (indicated by the ratio of DFF45 mRNA expression in tumor to DFF45 mRNA expression in normal esophageal mucosa [tumor:normal] < 1) had a significantly shorter survival after undergoing surgery compared with patients who had high DFF45 mRNA expression (tumor:normal > 1, P = 0.0006; log-rank test, P = 0.0003; median follow-up, 14.6 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with ESCC with decreased DFF45 mRNA expression levels had a poor prognosis compared with patients who had high DFF45 mRNA expression levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Nagoya City University Medical School, Mizuho-ku, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Junzo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terashita
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shinoda
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuwabara
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; C109664:caspase-activated DNase inhibitor; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases