title: Overexpression of Ets-like protein 1 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the expression pattern of Ets-like protein 1 (Elk-1) in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and to analyze its relationship with clinicopathologic parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of Elk-1 in fresh esophageal cancer tissues and their corresponding normal mucosae was detected immunohistochemically (IHC) by means of tissue microarray (TMA). Its correlation with clinical characteristics was evaluated and analyzed by univariate analysis. All statistical analyses were performed by SPSS version 13.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression level of transcription factor Elk-1 increased in 78.5% (84/107) ESCC tissues compared with their matched normal esophageal epithelium. However, the expression of Elk-1 did not show any obvious correlation with degree of differentiation of esophageal carcinoma (in well-differentiated, moderately-differentiated and poorly-differentiated tumors, the increased expression was 7/8, 60/74, and 19/25, respectively, P > 0.05). Moreover, no obvious correlation was found with lymph node metastasis and depth of invasion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased expression of transcription factor Elk-1 may play an important role in esophageal carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: An-Guo
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zai-Cheng
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xin-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Wen-Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Zhi-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D050807:ets-Domain Protein Elk-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050807:ets-Domain Protein Elk-1