title: Expression of midkine and its clinical significance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of midkine in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and analyze its relationship with clinicopathological features.
  
  
  METHODS
  RT-PCR and immunocytochemical staining were used to detect the expression of midkine mRNA and protein in EC109 cells, respectively. Then the expression of midkine in 66 cases of ESCC samples were detected by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies against human midkine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Midkine was expressed in EC109 cell by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. The immunoreactivity was detected in 56.1% (37/66) of the ESCC samples. The expression of midkine was found in cytoplasm of tumor cells. Notably, the intensity of midkine was stronger at the area abundant in vessels and the invading border of the tumors. Midkine was more intensely expressed in well differentiated tumors (76.9%) than in moderately and poorly differentiated tumors (43.1% and 41.2%, respectively) (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant correlation between midkine expression and gender, age, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis or survival in ESCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Midkine is overexpressed in ESCC. It may play a role in tumor angiogenesis and invasion. The expression of midkine is correlated with tumor cell differentiation in ESCC. The more poorly tumor cells differentiate, the weaker midkine expresses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, The School of Oncology, Peking University, Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Beijing 100036, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Jia
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Qing-Yun
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000078792:Midkine; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D000078792:Midkine