title: HMGA2 overexpression plays a critical role in the progression of esophageal squamous carcinoma.
abstract: Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common esophageal tumor worldwide. However, there is still a lack of deeper knowledge about biological alterations involved in ESCC development. High Mobility Group A (HMGA) protein family has been related with poor outcome and malignant cell transformation in several tumor types. In this way, the aim of this study was to analyze the expression of HMGA1 and HMGA2 expression in ESCC and their role in crucial cellular features. We evaluated HMGA1 and HMGA2 mRNA expression in 52 paired ESCC and normal surrounding tissue samples by qRT-PCR. Here, we show that HMGA2, but not HMGA1, is overexpressed in ESCC samples. This result was further confirmed by the immunohistochemical analysis. Indeed, accordingly to mRNA expression data, HMGA2, but not HMGA1, was overexpressed in approximately 90% of ESCC samples, while it was barely expressed in the respective control. Conversely, HMGA1, but not HMGA2, was overexpressed in esophageal adenocarcinoma samples. Interestingly, HMGA2 abrogation attenuated the malignant phenotype of two ESCC cell lines, suggesting that HMGA2 overexpression is involved in ESCC progression.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer - INCA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.|Laboratório de Interações Celulares, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Prédio de Ciências da Saúde - Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.affiliation: Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer - INCA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nathalia Meireles
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Da Costa
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Sperimentale - CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Sperimentale - CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Martino
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Sperimentale - CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.affiliation: Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer - INCA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Paiva Leite
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: Divisão de Patologia, Instituto Nacional de Câncer - INCA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivanir
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interações Celulares, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Prédio de Ciências da Saúde - Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Eurico
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Nasciutti
authors.affiliation: Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer - INCA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.|Istituto di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Sperimentale - CNR c/o Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.affiliation: Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Câncer - INCA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis Felipe
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Ribeiro Pinto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019540:Area Under Curve; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D025743:HMGA2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D025743:HMGA2 Protein
keywords: HMGA proteins; cancer progression; diagnostic marker; esophageal cancer; malignant phenotype reversion