Correlation between connexin 26 expression and poor prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
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.
Inose
Takanori
T
Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan. inose@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
Kato
Hiroyuki
H
Kimura
Hitoshi
H
Faried
Ahmad
A
Tanaka
Naritaka
N
Sakai
Makoto
M
Sano
Akihiko
A
Sohda
Makoto
M
Nakajima
Masanobu
M
Fukai
Yasuyuki
Y
Miyazaki
Tatsuya
T
Masuda
Norihiro
N
Fukuchi
Minoru
M
Kuwano
Hiroyuki
H