title: Correlation of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha with lymphatic metastasis via vascular endothelial growth factor-C in human esophageal cancer.
abstract: Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha is a transcription factor that regulates the transcription of genes associated with cell proliferation and vascular development. In various cancer tissues, HIF-1alpha is associated with clinicopathological factors, such as the tumor size, histological grade, and lymph node status. Although HIF-1alpha plays a critical role in tumor growth by inducing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), it is unclarified whether HIF-1alpha affects lymphatic metastasis. The purpose of this study is to clarify the correlation of HIF-1alpha protein expression with lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The expressions of HIF-1alpha and VEGF-C, which is one of the main lymphangiogenic factors, were examined in five ESCC cell lines and 48 surgical specimens of ESCC. HIF-1alpha and VEGF-C mRNAs were expressed in all the five ESCC cell lines as determined by RT-PCR analysis. Immunohistochemically, 34 of the 48 patients (70.8%) were positive for HIF-1alpha and 29 patients (60.4%) were positive for VEGF-C. Clinicopathologically, HIF-1alpha expression correlated with lymphatic invasion and VEGF-C expression (P = 0.003 and P = 0.01, respectively). Furthermore, HIF-1alpha expression tended to correlate with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.09). These findings suggest that HIF-1alpha plays a role in lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis through the induction of VEGF-C in ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Surgery for Organ Function and Biological Regulation (Department of Surgery I), Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan. mkatsuta@nms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Miwako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katsuta
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shinji
authors.forename: Kiyohiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tajiri
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishiwata
authors.forename: Zenya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Naito
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C