title: Correlation between connexin 26 expression and poor prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Failure of gap junction formation affects the development of various types of cancer. We aimed to clarify the clinicopathologic outcome and prognostic significance of connexin (Cx) 26 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining for Cx26 was performed on surgical specimens obtained from 123 patients with ESCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no positive staining for Cx26-specific expression in normal esophageal squamous cells. Primary ESCC with Cx26-positive expression was detected in the cytoplasm of cancer cell nests in 60 cases. Cx26 expression was correlated with N (lymph node metastasis, P = 0.014) and the number of metastatic lymph nodes (P = 0.047). The 5-year survival rates of ESCC patients with Cx26-positive expression were significantly lower than those with Cx26-negative expression (positive, 39.7%; negative, 65.7%; P = 0.007). By multivariate analysis, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) clinical classification (T, P < 0.001; N, P = 0.002; M, P = 0.046) and Cx26 (P = 0.024) were independent prognosis predictors of ESCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that abnormal expression of Cx26 participates in the progress of ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan. inose@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inose
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
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authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hitoshi
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authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Ahmad
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authors.lastname: Faried
authors.forename: Naritaka
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authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Makoto
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authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: Makoto
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authors.lastname: Sohda
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
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authors.lastname: Fukai
authors.forename: Tatsuya
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authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuchi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwano