title: [Expression of ERK1/2 MAPK signaling transduction pathway in esophageal cancers in Kazakh patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression variation and significance of ERK1/2 MAPK signaling transduction pathway in the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Kazakh patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression level of p-ERK1/2 after serum starvation and treatment with U0126 inhibitor was detected in esophageal cancer cell line EC9706 by Western blot assay. The mRNA level of total ERK1/2 (t-ERK1/2) and expression level of t-ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 proteins of 25 pairs of ESCC and adjacent normal esophageal mucosal tissues of Kazakh patients were examined and identified by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively. The expression of p-ERK1/2 protein was verified by immunohistochemistry in 126 paraffin-embeded specimens, including 19 normal esophageal mucosa, 55 esophageal carcinomas in situ and 52 invasive carcinomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ERK1/2 MAPK signaling transduction pathway was in an active status in the EC9706 cells. The expression level of p-ERK1/2 in Ec9706 cells reached a peak at 10 min after transient serum stimulation, and p-ERK1/2 expression was totally restrained after the treatment with 50 µmol/L U0126. In the 25 pairs of ESCC and adjacent normal mucosa, the t-ERK1 mRNA level was 1.92 ± 3.49 in the ESCC tissues and 3.67 ± 7.47 in the adjacent normal mucosa. The t-ERK1 mRNA level in ESCC tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent normal mucosa (P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference of t-ERK2 mRNA level between them(P > 0.05). The expression levels of p-ERK1 and p-ERK2 proteins were 0.87 ± 0.14 and 0.79 ± 0.10 in the ESCC tissues, and 1.10 ± 0.13 and 1.32 ± 0.12 in the adjacent normal mucosae. p-ERK1/2 protein in the ESCC tissues was significantly lower than that in the adjacent normal tissue (P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference between their t-ERK1/2 protein levels (P > 0.05). In the 126 cases of paraffin-embeded specimens, positive expressions of both p-ERK1 and p-ERK2 in esophageal cancer tissues were 7.7% (4/52), significantly lower than those in adjacent normal mucosa (31.6%, 6/19) and carcinoma in situ (85.5%, 47/55, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway is in an active status in esophageal cancer and adjacent normal mucosa. Our results imply that the activation of p-ERK1/2 MAPK signaling transduction pathway plays a role in the early pathogenesis of ESCC in Kazakh patients.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, China.
authors.forename: Shu-tao
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Aerziguli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Middottuersun
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Cong-gai
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jun-guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Guo-dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ren-Yong
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ilyar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sheyhidin
authors.forename: Xiao-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D002070:Butadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002070:Butadienes; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009570:Nitriles; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C113580:U 0126; C535150:MAPK1 protein, human; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3