Altered expression of ezrin in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Ezrin is a membrane-cytoskeletal linker belonging to the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) family and has been suggested to be involved in tumorigenesis. In this study we investigated ezrin expression pattern in normal esophageal mucosa and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and the correlation with clinical characteristics. Immunohistochemical staining showed a tendency for ezrin to translocate from membrane to cytoplasm in the progression from normal epithelium to invasive carcinoma of the esophagus. By Western blot, we found that ezrin expression was downregulated in 13 ESCC specimens and upregulated in 36 others. Moreover, quantitative real-time RT-PCR demonstrated that ezrin mRNA level in normal esophageal mucosa was 3.60 +/- 3.60 times that in ESCC (p<0.001). Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression level was higher in ezrin downregulated group compared with that in ezrin upregulated group (p<0.05). However, there was no significant association between ezrin expression and clinical characteristics. The results suggested that the localization of ezrin by immunohistochemistry may be useful in the diagnosis of ESCC, and ezrin may play a suppressive role in the tumorgenesis of ESCC.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Shantou University, 22 Xinling Road, Shantou City, Guangdong Province, P.R. China.
Hongmei
H
Zeng
Liyan
L
Xu
Dawei
D
Xiao
Haihua
H
Zhang
Xianying
X
Wu
Ruiming
R
Zheng
Qiaoshan
Q
Li
Yongdong
Y
Niu
Zhongying
Z
Shen
Enmin
E
Li
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D021381:Protein Transport; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000099149:Ezrin
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000099149:Ezrin