title: Expression of Egr-1 gene and its correlation with the oncogene proteins in non-irradiated and irradiated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: We study the expression of early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1 gene) in non-irradiated and irradiated human esophageal cancer tissues, and its relationship with the expression of C-fos, C-jun onco-proteins as well as Egr-1 target gene proteins P53, Rb and Bax expression. In situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used respectively to detect Egr-1 mRNA, Egr-1, C-fos, C-jun, P53, Rb and Bax proteins in 80 surgically resected non-irradiated and irradiated tumor specimens of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Egr-1 gene mRNA and Bax protein were located in the cytoplasm, whereas Egr-1, C-fos, C-jun, P53, Rb proteins were located in the nuclei. Egr-1 was expressed in nine out of 40 cases (22.5%) of non-irradiated and 23 of 40 cases (57.5%) of irradiated tumor specimens. No correlation was found between Egr-1 gene expression and C-fos, C-jun onco-proteins expression, neither was any correlation disclosed between Egr-1 gene expression with its target gene protein expression. Patients who underwent radiotherapy with Egr-1 overexpressed in their cancer tissue had better prognosis. Radiotherapy up-regulates Egr-1 expression in esophageal carcinoma. Egr-1 overexpression may be a potential radiation response gene marker and may play an important role in prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, The key immunopathology laboratory of Guangdong Province, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China. mywu@stu.edu.cn
authors.forename: M-Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: X-Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Q-S
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: R-M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; C497325:EGR1 protein, human; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D005819:Genetic Markers; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein