[Expression and prognostic significance of survivin and caspase-3 in esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma and their relationship with HSPs expression].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the prognostic significance of expression of survivin and caspase-3 in esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) and the relasionship with expression of heat shock proteins 27 and 70 (HSP27 and HSP70).


METHODS
Expressions of survivin and caspase-3 in 101 cases of ESCC were quantitatively detected with flow cytometry. Their expressions in long-term survival group (group A, >or= 5 years, 38 cases) were compared with those in the short-term survival group (group B, <or= 1 year, 63 cases). Their prognostic significance and clinocopathological characteristics were evaluated and their relationship with HSP27 and HSP70 expression was analyzed.


RESULTS
The mean fluorescence intensity (mFI) of survivin in group B was 6.79 +/- 2.11, which was significantly higher than that (5.00 +/- 0.77) in group A (P < 0.01). The mFI of caspase-3 in the two groups were similar (5.12 +/- 0.67 vs. 5.07 +/- 0.77, P > 0.05). The positive expression rate of survivin in group A was significantly lower than that in group B (31.6% vs 54.0%, P = 0.029). Compared with that in short-term survival group, the strong positive expression rate of caspase-3 in long-term survival group was significantly higher (47.6% vs. 68.4%, P = 0.042). Positive expression rate of caspase-3 showed decreasing tendency with increase in age. No significant differences in clinicopathologic features in relation to expression rate of caspase-3 other than tumor length. No correlation was observed between expression intensity of survivin and any clinicopathologic features. Logistic regression analysis indicated that survivin and caspase-3 expressions were of independent prognostic significance for ESCC. There was no association between survivin and caspase-3 expression and expression of HSP27 and HSP70.


CONCLUSIONS
The expressions of survivin and caspase-3 are two independent prognostic factors in ESCC. They do not correlate with HSP27 and HSP70 expression.
Cao
Fu-min
FM
Department of Pathology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
Zhang
Xiang-hong
XH
Yan
Xia
X
Wang
Jun-ling
JL
Xing
Ling-xiao
LX
Wang
Xiao-ling
XL
Shen
Hai-tao
HT
Wang
Feng-rong
FR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011379:Prognosis; D000077022:Survivin
C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; D053148:Caspase 3