title: Association of Wnt1/beta-catenin with clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between Wnt1/beta-catenin expression and the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The mRNA and protein expression levels of Wnt1/beta-catenin genes in 70 ESCC and 15 adjacent noncancerous paraffin-embedded samples were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining. The mRNA expression level of Wnt1/beta-catenin in ESCC was significantly higher than that in the adjacent noncancerous tissues (1.9934 +/- 1.9888 vs. 0.8863 +/- 0.665, p = 0.0184; 0.2854 +/- 0.1298 vs. 0.0128 +/- 0.0158, p = 0.0000, respectively), and the overexpression of Wnt1/beta-catenin mRNA was aggressively associated with lymph node metastasis and advanced pathological stage (p < 0.0001). The protein expression level of Wnt1/beta-catenin was also significantly higher than that in the adjacent noncancerous tissues (0.3830 +/- 0.0947 vs. 0.2721 +/- 0.1474, p = 0.0002; 0.2835 +/- 0.0844 vs. 0.2352 +/- 0.0670, p = 0.0210, respectively); however, the overexpression was not associated with clinicopathologic characteristics. Meanwhile, the protein expression level of Wnt1 had no relevance with that of beta-catenin. The overexpression of Wnt1/beta-catenin might be an important molecular marker to predict the clinicopathologic stage and prognosis of ESCC, and the level of Wnt1/beta-catenin mRNA was conversely correlated with lymph node metastasis and advanced pathological stage. The overexpression of Wnt1/beta-catenin mRNA should also predict poor prognosis of ESCC; however, it might not be an independent prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Surgery, Affiliated Nanjing First Hospital and Oncology Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Xiu-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Lv
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Dong-dong
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051155:Wnt1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495247:WNT1 protein, human; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; D051176:beta Catenin