title: Expression of CXCL12/CXCR4 and its correlation to prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  CXCL12/CXCR4 is expressed in many kinds of tumors, which is associated with tumor proliferation and invasion. This study was to investigate the expression of CXCL12/CXCR4, and explore its correlation to prognosis and clinicopathologic factors of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of CXCL12/CXCR4 protein in 186 specimens of ESCC was assessed by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rates of CXCL4 and CXCR12 protein in ESCC tissues were 67.2% and 63.4%, respectively. CXCL4 and CXCR12 were not expressed in 20 specimens of normal esophageal epithelium. PTNM stage and positive expression of CXCR4 were independent prognostic factors of ESCC (p < 0.05). The five-year survival rates of CXCL12-positive and CXCL12-negative groups were not significantly different (21.0% vs. 18.8%, p > 0.05), while the five-year survival rate was significantly higher in CXCR4-negative group than in CXCR4-positive group (28.5% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.05). The expression of CXCR4 was higher in the group with lymph node metastasis and pathological T3 stage than in the group without lymph node metastasis and with pathological T1-T2 stages (p < 0.05). The expression of CXCR4 was not correlated with the expression of CXCL12 in ESCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CXCL12/CXCR4 is intensively expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The level of CXCR4 is positively correlated to progression and prognosis of ESCC.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Intensive Care Unit, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China.
authors: Dao-Feng
authors: DF
authors: Wang
authors: Ning
authors: N
authors: Lou
authors: Can-Guang
authors: CG
authors: Zeng
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Fu-Jin
authors: FJ
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4