title: [Expressions and clinical significances of iASPP and caspase-9 in esophageal cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expressions of inhibitory member of the apoptosis stimulating protein of p53 family (iASPP) and caspase-9 in the esophageal cancer (EC) tissues and their correlations with clinical pathological parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), the protein and mRNA expressions of iASPP and caspase-9 were detected in 85 EC samples and 30 normal esophagus tissues to analyze their relationships with the clinicopathologic parameters of EC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive expression rate of iASPP was significantly higher in EC than that in normal esophagus tissues by SP (72.9% vs 16.7%, P<0.01) and by RT-PCR (0.657±0.115 vs 0.321±0.065, P<0.01). However, The positive expression rate of caspase-9 was significantly lower in EC than that in normal esophagus tissue by SP method (18.8% vs 76.7%, P<0.01) and by RT-PCR (0.297±0.058 vs 0.593±0.108, P<0.01). The mRNA expression levels of iASPP and caspase-9 in EC were significantly related to the invasive extent, histological differentiation, TNM stages, and lymphatic metastases (P<0.05), but not related to the age, sex, tumor size and pathological type (P>0.05). The expression of iASPP mRNA was negatively correlated with caspase-9 (r=-0.382, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overexpression of iASPP and the low expression of caspase-9 in EC are closely correlated with tumor invasion and metastasis, and iASPP may promote the progression of EC through inhibiting the expression of caspase-9.
authors.affiliation: Medical College, Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou 730030, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.forename: Chunjiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.forename: Yongmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Qiaoling
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D063646:Carcinogenesis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000235:genetics*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C119612:PPP1R13L protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D053453:Caspase 9