title: Prognostic significance of intratumoral natural killer cells in primary resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural killer (NK) cells are important effector cells in the defense against tumors. The present study retrospectively examines the intratumoral NK cells in primary resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and the correlation between the patient' outcome and the intratumoral NK cells infiltration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the intratumoral NK cell infiltration in 38 archival specimens from patients with primary resected ESCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the cut-off point of the staining for intratumoral NK cell infiltration, 14 (37%) cases had high level infiltration and 24 (63%) low. The 5-year survival of patients with high level NK infiltration was significantly better than that of patients with a low level of NK infiltration (p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis did not show NK cell infiltration to be a significant prognostic factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intratumoral NK cell infiltration is associated with a favorable outcome in ESCC. Intratumoral NK cell infiltration might be used as a variable with prognostic value in primary resected ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. hjy@vghtc.gov.tw
authors.forename: Jiun-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hsia
authors.forename: Jung-Ta
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chih-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chung-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Jen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miaw
authors.forename: Yu-Shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chiou-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I