title: Tumoral CRP expression in thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancers is associated with poor outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cancer cells reportedly produce C-reactive protein (CRP) locally within tumors. The aim of this study was to determine whether tumoral CRP is associated with clinical outcome and recurrence in thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects included 73 Japanese patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer (pathological Stage IIA-IV) that had not been treated preoperatively with either chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Tumoral CRP expression in resected specimens of tumor tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The survival rate following surgery, the rates and patterns of recurrence, and the serum CRP levels before treatment and at recurrence were analyzed in patients with and without tumoral CRP expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-nine percent of the study participants (43/73) were positive for tumoral CRP expression, and the remaining 41% (30/73) were negative. No significant difference in clinicopathological factors was observed between the tumoral CRP-positive and CRP-negative groups; however, patients expressing tumoral CRP showed significantly poorer survival and recurrence rates. A multivariate analysis showed that tumoral CRP expression was an independent factor contributing to the likelihood of a poor outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumoral CRP is associated with a poor outcome in thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer. Tumoral CRP could therefore be an important target for the treatment of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita, 010-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshinobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakatsu
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Motoyama
authors.forename: Kiyotomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Shuetsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Usami
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Masatomo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Yudai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hinai
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Minamiya
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein