title: Expression of ECRG4 is an independent prognostic factor for poor survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: In this study, we examined the expression of esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) mRNA and evaluated its clinical significance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). ECRG4 mRNA expression was quantified by real-time RT-PCR in 63 ESCC and corresponding normal esophageal mucosal samples. ECRG4 mRNA expression levels were significantly lower in ESCC tissues compared with corresponding normal esophageal mucosa (P<0.0001), in patients with locally invasive T2-4 tumors compared with less invasive T1 tumors (P=0.0229) and in stage 4 tumors compared with stage 0-3 tumors (P=0.0120). Furthermore, low ECRG4 mRNA expression levels were associated with significantly shorter survival after surgery compared with high ECRG4 mRNA expression levels (P=0.0150) in ESCC patients. On the basis of multivariate analysis, we conclude that ECRG4 mRNA expression level could be a candidate for an independent prognostic factor for ESCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Oncology, Immunology and Surgery, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuwabara
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitsui
authors.forename: Horoki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurehara
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomoda
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Takeyasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katada
authors.forename: Koshiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harata
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins