NOTCH1 expression predicts patient prognosis in esophageal squamous cell cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer remains poor, and the classification of tumor node metastasis has proven insufficient to predict patient prognosis. Therefore, novel predictive markers of esophageal cancer prognosis are needed. Notch receptors and their ligands have been reported to be upregulated in cervical, lung, colon, renal, and pancreatic cancers, but NOTCH1 expression has not been studied in esophageal cancer.


METHODS
Expression of NOTCH1 was quantified by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in 55 primary esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) and their paired normal esophageal mucosa. We then examined the correlations between NOTCH1 expression, clinicopathological factors, and prognosis in patients with ESCC.


RESULTS
The probability of overall survival was significantly lower for patients with high NOTCH1 expression (p = 0.0028; log-rank test). Overexpression of NOTCH1 was identified as a significant and independent prognostic factor (p = 0.0061) in patients who had undergone surgical treatment for ESCCs. The hazard ratio for predicting early death was 4.298 (95% confidence interval 1.515-12.195) for high versus low NOTCH1 expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate that NOTCH1 may be a candidate molecular prognostic marker and a molecular target for the development of an effective therapeutic intervention for patients with ESCC.
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nagoya City University, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
R
R
Ogawa
H
H
Ishiguro
M
M
Kimura
H
H
Funahashi
T
T
Wakasugi
T
T
Ando
M
M
Shiozaki
H
H
Takeyama
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051881:Receptor, Notch1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
C497761:NOTCH1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051881:Receptor, Notch1