PML protein as a prognostic molecular marker for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas receiving primary surgery.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the clinicopathological associations and prognostic implications of promyelocytic leukemia gene (PML) expressions in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) receiving primary surgery.


METHODS
Expression patterns of PML and tumor protein 53 (TP53) of 132 cases of ESCC were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the prognostic influence of clinicopathological factors on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).


RESULTS
Forty-two cases (31.82%) were classified as lost expression of PML, 25 (18.94%) as focally positive, and 65 (49.24%) as diffusely expressed. Sixty-three cases (47.73%) were classified as over-expression of TP53. High expression of TP53 and down-regulation of PML were often found in advanced disease; and, in together with high pathological staging, grading, and positive margin, were associated with poor survival. However, only tumor differentiation (P = 0.016), distant metastasis (P = 0.001), and PML expression (P = 0.001) could act as independent prognostic factors for PFS, and LN metastasis (P = 0.004), TP53 (P = 0.006), and PML expression (P = 0.029) were identified as independent prognostic factors for OS in multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrated PML protein as an independent prognostic marker for patients with ESCC receiving primary surgery.
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. ccyen@vghtpe.gov.tw
Chueh-Chuan
CC
Yen
Yen-Po
YP
Tsao
Paul Chih-Hsueh
PC
Chen
Yu-Chung
YC
Wu
Jin-Hwang
JH
Liu
Chin-Chen
CC
Pan
Chun-Yu
CY
Liu
Cheng-Hwai
CH
Tzeng
Po-Min
PM
Chen
Yann-Jang
YJ
Chen
Chi-Hung
CH
Lin
Wen-Hu
WH
Hsu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D000071156:Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000071156:Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C070576:PML protein, human