h-Prune is an independent prognostic marker for survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The human homologue of Drosophila prune (PRUNE, which encodes h-prune) protein interacts with glycogen synthase kinase 3 and promotes cell motility. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of immunohistochemically detected h-prune expression on the survival of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).


METHODS
Immunohistochemical staining of h-prune was performed for 205 surgically resected specimens of ESCC.


RESULTS
In total, 43 (21%) of 205 ESCC cases were positive for h-prune. h-prune-positive ESCC cases showed a more-advanced T stage (P < 0.0001), N stage (P < 0.0001), and tumor stage (P < 0.0001) than h-prune-negative ESCC cases. In the group of 116 stage II and III ESCC cases, recurrence of ESCC was frequently found in h-prune-positive cases. In patients with lung recurrence, the tumors were more likely to be h-prune positive than h-prune negative. Univariate analysis revealed that T stage (P < 0.0001), N stage (P < 0.0001), tumor stage (P < 0.0001), and h-prune staining (P < 0.0001) were significant prognostic factors for survival. Multivariate analysis indicated that N stage (P = 0.0182) and h-prune staining (P < 0.0001) were independent predictors for survival.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that immunostaining of h-prune is useful to identify patients at high risk for recurrence or poor prognosis associated with ESCC.
Noguchi
Tsuyoshi
T
Department of Oncological Science (Surgery II), Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Oita, Japan.
Oue
Naohide
N
Wada
Shinsuke
S
Sentani
Kazuhiro
K
Sakamoto
Naoya
N
Kikuchi
Akira
A
Yasui
Wataru
W
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C438732:PRUNE1 protein, human; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases