[Expression of ezrin and CD44-v6 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical significance].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the expression of ezrin and CD44-v6 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and to evaluate its relationship with lymph node metastasis (LNM) and histological grading.


METHODS
The expression of ezrin and CD44-v6 in 71 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was studied using immunohistochemical (SP) method. The correlation of their expression with relevant clinical data was statistically analyzed.


RESULTS
In normal esophageal squamous epithelia, the expression of ezrin was found in 33 cases among 71 cases and the expression of CD44-v6 in 18 cases among 71 cases. In esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the expression of ezrin was found in 64 cases among 71 cases and CD44-v6 in 58 cases among 71 cases. The expression of ezrin was closely related to LNM. The positive rate of ezrin expression in LNM cases was significantly higher than that in cases without LNM. The expression of CD44-v6 had a close relation to tumor differentiation and LNM. The positive rate of CD44-v6 expression in LNM cases was significantly higher than that in patients without LNM. The expression of ezrin in CD44-v6 positive cases was significantly higher than that of CD44-v6 negative cases. The LNM rate was 60.0% in 48 patients with positive expression of both ezrin and CD44-v6, while none of lymph node metastasis was found in the 6 patients with both negative.


CONCLUSIONS
The test of CD44-v6 and ezrin expression may have significant prognostic value for assessing the degree of malignancy and potential LNM probability of ESCC. Ezrin may become a new target in evaluation of tumor prognosis.
Chai
Li-Xun
LX
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan 030012, China.
Sun
Ke-Lin
KL
Guo
Li-Ping
LP
Zhang
Hong-Tu
HT
Lu
Shi-Xin
SX
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000099149:Ezrin
D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D000099149:Ezrin; C112697:CD44v6 antigen