title: [The expression and its potentially clinical significance of EphA2 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the expression of EphA2, and investigate its correlation with the development, progression, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis and prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the expression level of EphA2 protein in 61 cases NPC and 20 cases chronic nasopharyngitis samples. The clinically pathological data and results of follow-up were collected. Microvessel density (MVD) was also measured by immunohistochemical staining method with CD34 in NPC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rate of EphA2 protein staining in NPC was 60.66% (37/61), while that in nasopharyngitis samples was 10.0% (2/20). The positive rates of EphA2 protein in NPC were 27.27% (3/11) in stage I, 56.25% (9/16) in stage II, 68.19% (15/22) in stage III, and 83.33% (10/12) in stage IV. The positive expressions of EphA2 in T1 + T2 and T3 + T4 with neck lymph node and distant metastasis were 58.33% (7/12) and 88.89% (16/18) respectively, while those in T1 +T2 and T3 + T4 without metastasis were 31.25% (5/16) and 50.00% (6/12) respectively. The cumulative survival of patients in the EphA2 positive group at 5 years was only 0.324 (12/37), while 0.500 (12/24) in the EphA2 negative group. The positive expression of EphA2 protein was correlated with the clinical stage, the neck lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, and prognosis of NPC, respectively (P < 0.05). MVD in EphA2 protein positive group (45.32 +/- 4.91) was significantly higher than that in EphA2 protein negative group (28.69 +/- 3.99, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EphA2 may play an important role in the development and progression of NPC. It is closely associated with the invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis and prognosis of NPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, the Second Affiliated People's Hospital of Wuxi, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214002, China. zgc2003doctor@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Guochen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Dajiang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yawei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D036104:Receptor, EphA2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D036104:Receptor, EphA2