title: Clinicopathological significance of heparanase and basic fibroblast growth factor expression in human esophageal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human heparanase is an endo-D-glucuronidase that degrades heparan sulfate/heparin and has been implicated in a variety of biological processes. The objective was to investigate the expression of heparanase (Hps) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and their relationship to neoangiogenesis and metastasis of human esophageal carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-nine patients who had undergone esophageal resection for esophageal carcinoma without preoperative treatment were included in the present study. Immunohistochemistry was used to study the expression of Hps, bFGF and microvessel density (MVD) in 79 cases of esophageal carcinoma. bFGF and Hps were quantitatively detected with immunohistochemistry in 79 cases of human esophageal carcinoma and 19 cases of adjacent normal human esophageal carcinoma. Cd34 was used to explore the MVD as a marker of endothelial cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hps and bFGF expression in tumor tissue, being remarkably higher than that in normal esophageal tissue, were significantly correlated with clinicopathological features (depth of invasion, lymph-node metastasis and TNM stage) and MVD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that the coexpression of Hps and bFGF plays a key role in angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis of esophageal carcinoma. Hps and bFGF may serve as a predictor of progression in esophageal carcinoma. The expression of heparanase in esophageal carcinoma enhances growth, invasion, and angiogenesis of the tumor, and bFGF seems to be a potent antigenic factor for esophageal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: First Affiliated Hospital, Lanzhou, Medical College, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China.
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Min-Jie
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D000099175:Heparanase
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D005966:Glucuronidase; D000099175:Heparanase