Esophageal Cancer
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2004. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 15, 2004; 10(4): 476-480
Published online Feb 15, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i4.476
Expression of Egr-1, c-fos and cyclin D1 in esophageal cancer and its precursors: An immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization study
Ming-Yao Wu, Chu-Xiang Zhuang, Huan-Xing Yang, Ying-Rui Liang
Ming-Yao Wu, Huan-Xing Yang, Department of Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515031, Guangdong Province, China
Chu-Xiang Zhuang, Department of Physiology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515031, Guangdong Province, China
Ying-Rui Liang, Department of Pathology, The First People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan 528000, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 39670298
Correspondence to: Ming-Yao Wu, Department of Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xinling Road, Shantou 515031, Guangdong Province, China. mywu@stu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-754-8900486 Fax: +86-754-8557562
Received: June 5, 2003
Revised: July 20, 2003
Accepted: September 24, 2003
Published online: February 15, 2004
Abstract

AIM: To examine the expression of Egr-1, c-fos and cyclin D1 at both transcript and protein levels in esophageal carcinoma and to correlate the level of their expressions with precancerous and paracancerous esophageal lesions and esophageal carcinoma.

METHODS: In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used respectively to detect the expression of mRNA and proteins of Egr-1, c-fos and cyclin D1 in 70 cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their corresponding para-cancerous mucosa and upper cut edge mucosa.

RESULTS: In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry showed positive staining of all three mRNAs in the cytoplasm and those of the proteins in nuclei. Overexpression of Egr-1, c-fos and cyclin D1 mRNAs and their proteins was found in dysplasia and squamous carcinomas. The expression level of Egr-1 and c-fos was high, and cyclin D1 was low in dysplasia mucosa, whereas the expression of Egr-1 was decreased, c-fos was maintained and cyclin D1 was increased in the cancers. The expression of both c-fos and cyclinD1 was consistent between the mRNA and protein in their corresponding high expression lesions.

CONCLUSION: The expression of Egr-1, c-fos and cyclin D1 varies in esophageal precancerous lesions and cancer tissues, suggesting an involvement of these genes in the development of esophageal carcinoma.

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