title: Transmembrane protein 166 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Xinjiang, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Transmembrane protein 166 (TMEM166) expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and remote normal esophageal tissues was examined to assess any role in tumour biology.
  
  
  METHODS
  TMEM166 mRNA expression in 36 cases with ESCC (36 tumour samples, 36 remote normal esophageal tissue samples) was detected by RT-PCR. TMEM166 protein expression was analysed in paraffin-embedded tissue samples from the same cases by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Semi-quantitative analysis showed TMEM166 mRNA expression in ESCCs to be significantly lower than in remote normal esophageal tissues (0.759 ± 0.713 vs. 2.622 ± 1.690, P=0.014). TMEM166 protein expression was also significantly reduced (69.4% vs. 94.4%, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TMEM166 mRNA and protein expression demonstrated significant reduction in ESCCs compared with remote esophageal tissues, albeit with no correlation with tumour size, differentiation, stage, and lymph node metastasis, suggesting a role in regulating autophagic and apoptotic processes in the ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Oncology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiu-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jing-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Guo-Qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yue-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hai-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Ying-Yu
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian-Bing
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C524094:EVA1A protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger