title: [mRNA expression of RASSF1A in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and clinical significance thereof].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the mRNA expression of the new tumor suppressor gene, RASSF1A, in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its biological value.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of RASSF1A in the tumor tissues, tissues near tumor, and normal tissues, all obtained during operation, from 66 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The deletion rates of RASSF1A mRNA expression were 42.4% (28/66), 15.2% (10/66), and 0 in the tumor tissues, tissues near tumor, and normal tissues respectively. The deletion rates of RASSF1A mRNA expression in patients with lymph node metastasis was 61.1%, significantly higher than that of the patients without lymph node metastasis (20.0%, chi(2) = 11.323, P < 0.01); The deletion rates of RASSF1A mRNA expression in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at the advanced stages (stages III - IV) was 61.5%, significantly higher than that in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at the early stages (stages I - II, 30.0%, chi(2) = 6.417, P < 0.01). The deletion rages of RASSF1A mRNA in the highly, moderately, and lowly differentiation tumors were 38.5% (10/26), 38.5% (10/26), and 57.1% (8/14) respectively, However, there was no significant association between the differentiation degree of tumor and the grade the deletion rages of RASSF1A mRNA (chi(2) = 1.576, P = 0.455).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The deletion of the mRNA expression of RASSF1A, a tumor suppressor gene, may play an important role in the tumorigenesis and influences the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China. dg8cong@hotmail.com
authors.forename: De-gang
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Sheng-fa
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tie-wa
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C411762:RASSF1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins