title: Expression of p53R2 is related to prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The p53 gene and its family are important factors for carcinogenesis, prognosis, and chemoresistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. A recently identified ribonucleotide reductase, p53R2, is regulated by p53 for supplying nucleotides to repair damaged DNA. In the present study, we analyzed the expression and clinicopathologic significance of p53 and p53R2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We immunohistochemically investigated the relationship between p53 and p53R2 expressions in surgical specimens of primary tumors in 222 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive expression rate of p53 was 47.1% and that of p53R2 was 61.7%. Positive p53R2 expression was significantly correlated with depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, stage, and poor prognosis. In the p53-negative group, the 5-year survival rate was better in patients with negative p53R2 expression than in those with positive p53R2 expression. Multivariate analysis indicated that the negative expression of both p53 and p53R2 was an independent prognostic factor along with tumor depth nodal metastasis and stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We showed that positive p53R2 expression was related to tumor development and that alteration of p53R2 expression in p53-negative tumors was closely related to prognosis. Evaluation of the expressions of p53 and p53R2 proteins should be useful for determining the tumor properties, including prognosis, in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology and Digestive Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan. hokumura@m.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Natsugoe
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yokomakura
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Yasuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchikado
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Setoyama
authors.forename: Tetsuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Owaki
authors.forename: Sumiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aikou
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D016158:Genes, p53; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C405947:RRM2B protein, human; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases