title: High DEPTOR expression correlates with poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The disheveled, Egl-10, and pleckstrin (DEP) domain containing mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-interacting protein (DEPTOR) is a binding protein containing mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1), mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2), and an endogenous mTOR inhibitor. DEPTOR shows abnormal expressions in numerous types of solid tumors. However, how DEP-TOR is expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains elusive.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of DEPTOR in 220 cases of ESCC and non-cancerous adjacent tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. DEPTOR levels in ESCC and paired normal tissue were quantified using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis to verify the immunohistochemical results. The relationship between DEPTOR expression and the clinicopathological features of ESCC was analyzed based on the results of immunohistochemistry. Finally, we analyzed the relationship between DEPTOR expression and the prognosis of patients with ESCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression rate of DEPTOR in ESCC tissues was significantly increased. DEPTOR mRNA and protein expression was significantly higher in ESCC tissues than in normal adjacent esophageal squamous tissues. High DEPTOR expression was significantly correlated with regional lymph node status in the TNM stage of patients with ESCC. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the rate of overall survival was significantly lower in patients with high DEPTOR expression than in those with low DEPTOR expression. Additionally, high DEPTOR expression was an independent prognostic predictor for ESCC patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High DEPTOR expression is an independent prognostic biomarker indicating a worse prognosis for patients with ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Nan-Bo
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jun-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu-Fan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhen-Zhong
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ji-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wen-Yue
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China ; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Dongtai People's Hospital, Dongtai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dong-Yun
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Cancer, Affiliated Hospital, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
keywords: DEPTOR; ESCC; prognosis