Slug Expression in the E-cadherin Preserved Tumors Is Related to Prognosis in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

• Published in: Clinical cancer research 2005-02, Vol.11 (3), p.1174-1180
• Main Authors: UCHIKADO, Yasuto, NATSUGOE, Shoji, OKUMURA, Hiroshi, SETOYAMA, Tetsuro, MATSUMOTO, Masataka, ISHIGAMI, Sumiya, AIKOU, Takashi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Cadherins - biosynthesis; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - metabolism; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; cell adhesion; Esophageal Neoplasms - metabolism; Esophageal Neoplasms - pathology; Esophagus; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; malignant property; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Models, Biological; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Staging; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prognosis; Snail Family Transcription Factors; Survival Analysis; Transcription Factors - biosynthesis; transcriptional factor; Tumors
• ISSN: 1078-0432; 1557-3265
• DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.1174.11.3

Purpose: The expression of E-cadherin correlates with the development, progression, and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Slug, a member of the snail family of transcriptional factors, is a newly identified suppressive transcriptional factor of E-cadherin . The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of E-cadherin and Slug expression in ESCC. Experimental Design: Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression of E-cadherin and Slug proteins in 203 patients with ESCC. The relationships between expression of these proteins and clinicopathologic factors, including prognosis, were analyzed. Results: Positive expression of E-cadherin and Slug was observed in 43% and 48% of cases, respectively. The tumors with reduced E-cadherin expression or positive Slug expression invaded deeper, had more lymph node metastasis, and had more lymphatic invasion than the tumors with preserved E-cadherin expression or negative Slug expression. Slug expression significantly correlated with reduced E-cadherin expression. Sixty-seven of the 98 (68.4%) tumors with positive Slug expression had reduced E-cadherin expression ( P = 0.0011). Patients with reduced E-cadherin expression or positive Slug expression had poor clinical outcomes. In the preserved E-cadherin group, the 5-year survival rate was better for patients who were negative for Slug expression than for those who were positive for Slug expression ( P = 0.035). Multivariate analysis indicated that E-cadherin expression and Slug expression were not independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: Evaluation of not only the expression of E-cadherin but also the co-expression of E-cadherin and Slug in preserved E-cadherin group is useful for predicting malignant properties of ESCC.