title: High expression of ezrin predicts poor prognosis in uterine cervical cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ezrin, a member of the ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) protein family, plays a pivotal role in tumor invasion and metastasis. This study is aimed to investigate the clinicopathological significance of upregulated ezrin protein expression in uterine cervical cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining of ezrin protein was performed on uterine cervical cancer specimens from 235 patients. For comparison, 239 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), 17 cases of cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia (CGIN) and 52 normal cervix samples were also included. qRT-PCR was performed on fresh tissues to detect ezrin mRNA expression levels. HPV infection statuses were genotyped by oligonucleotide microarray, and 10-year survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method for 109 cervical cancer patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apical membranous distribution of ezrin protein was only observed in normal cervical glands, while perinuclear staining was only observed in cervical cancers. Strong cytoplasmic and diffuse localization of ezrin were frequently seen in the cervical cancers compared with the normal counterparts. Furthermore, this strongly positive ezrin expression was significantly higher in cervical cancers than in CIN, CGIN, and normal cervical epithelia. Ezrin overexpression was closely related with poor differentiation, late stage, and lymph node metastasis. Additionally, ezrin overexpression was associated with lower 10-year survival rate for patients with early stage cervical cancer, but not for patients with advanced stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aberrant localization and overexpression of ezrin might be an independent effective biomarker for prognostic evaluation of cervical cancers.
authors.forename: Jienan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shuangping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Haidan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Yongjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: Chengshi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Natural Resources of Changbai Mountain & Functional Molecules (Yanbian University), Ministry of Education, Yanji, China. ylli@jlu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yulin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000502:physiology; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D011379:Prognosis; D021381:Protein Transport; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult; D000099149:Ezrin
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D000099149:Ezrin