title: Overexpression of WRAP53 is associated with development and progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a highly aggressive cancer whose underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. The natural antisense transcript (NAT) WRAP53 regulates p53 expression and WRAP53 protein is a component of telomerase. NATs play key roles in carcinogenesis, and although WRAP53 is known to increase cancer cell survival, its role in ESCC clinicopathology is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate WRAP53 expression in ESCC and to correlate it with clinicopathological characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  WRAP53 mRNA and protein expression was measured by quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting, respectively, in 4 ESSC cells lines and in 45 paired ESCC and non-neoplastic esophageal mucosa tissues. To correlate WRAP53 protein expression with clinicopathological characteristics, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on 134 ESCC and 85 non-neoplastic esophageal mucosa tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of WRAP53 was detected in all ESCC cell lines and was upregulated in the ESCC tissues compared with the corresponding non-neoplastic tissues (P<0.01). More cells expressed WRAP53 protein in the ESCC tissues than in the non-neoplastic tissues (P<0.01). Overexpression of WRAP53 was significantly correlated with tumor infiltration depth (P = 0.000), clinical stage (P = 0.001), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.025). Wrap53 expression was not correlated with age, gender, or tumor differentiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report indicates increased expression of WRAP53 in ESCC and that WRAP53 overexpression is correlated with tumor progression. WRAP53 may play a significant role in ESCC; accordingly, WRAP53 could be a useful biomarker for ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xuguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Daofu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Cell Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xuxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Cell Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Gefei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Cell Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xuhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Jinglian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Cell Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Dongyang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016158:Genes, p53; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019098:Telomerase; C535133:WRAP53 protein, human