title: Immunohistochemical evidence of association between ghrelin expression and tumor growth in esophageal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ghrelin, an orexigenic peptide, is primarily produced and secreted by the gastrointestinal tract. As far as we are aware of, there is no evidence of ghrelin expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and ten patients with ESCC who underwent surgical resection were enrolled in this study. We immunohistochemically investigated ghrelin expression in primary ESCC specimens and analyzed the relationship with clinicopathological factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High ghrelin expression was observed in 61 patients (29.0%). Depth of tumor invasion and histological differentiation were statistically associated with ghrelin expression. As for depth of tumor invasion, the deeper it was, the higher was the expression of ghrelin. Well-differentiated tumors had a significantly higher proportion of ghrelin-expressing cells than other types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ghrelin expression correlated with tumor depth and tumor differentiation, suggesting an important role of ghrelin in tumor growth in ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan itaru@m3.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Omoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchikado
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Setoyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Owaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Sumiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Natsugoe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D054439:Ghrelin
keywords: Ghrelin; esophageal cancer; tumor progression