Identification of a minimal deletion region on chromosome 5q in Chinese esophageal squamous cell carcinomas

Short tandem repeat polymorphism in exon 4 of esophageal cancer-related gene 2 detected in genomic DNA is a prognostic marker for esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

Short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms in exon 4 of the esophageal cancer-related gene 2 (ECRG2) are a risk marker for esophageal carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to correlate these STRs with clinical outcome.

METHODS

Genomic DNA of 86 patients who underwent complete surgical resection was analyzed for STRs TCA3/TCA3, TCA3/TCA4, and TCA4/TCA4 in exon 4 of ECRG2 by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing.

RESULTS

ECRG2 STR TCA3/TCA3 and TCA3/TCA4 were found in 40 (47%) patients, respectively, and TCA4/TCA4 in 6 (7%) cases. TCA3/TCA3 genotype was significantly associated with reduced survival (P < .05, log-rank test). TCA3/TCA3 STR was the strongest prognostic factor determined by multivariate Cox regression analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Genetically fixed STR polymorphism TCA3/TCA3 in exon 4 of ECRG2 is associated with poor clinical outcome in surgically treated esophageal cancer patients and might be a potential prognostic marker. The usefulness of these genetic markers to predict responsiveness toward neoadjuvant treatment of esophageal cancer patients would be of high clinical interest and should be examined in future studies.

Molecular analysis in combination with iodine staining may contribute to the risk prediction of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

Mucosal iodine staining has improved the detection of precancerous lesions of the esophagus. However, this method is unable to exactly evaluate the risk status of the lesions. In the present study, we conducted a molecular analysis combining the iodine staining in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) and different premalignant lesions of the esophagus in order to improve the early diagnosis of ESCC.

METHODS

Tumorous and precancerous lesions were procured as iodine-unstained areas in the resected specimens of ESCC patients by means of Lugol's iodine staining. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was detected with 35 microsatellite markers frequently reported to be deleted in ESCC. The markers with high frequency of LOH in tumorous and precancerous lesions of the same patient were subjected to further detection in iodine-unstained biopsy samples from the population screening in ESCC high-incidence region.

RESULTS

Common alterations were observed at D3S3644, D3S1768, D3S3040, D3S4542, RPL14, D9S169, D13S171 and D13S263 in both cancer tissues and precancerous lesions around tumors. Interestingly, D3S3644, D3S1768, D3S3040, D3S4542, RPL14 and D13S263 were also found with high frequency of LOH in iodine-staining abnormal lesions from the population screening. Most importantly, LOH frequency increased with histological severity.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that detection of these six markers in combination with iodine staining might contribute to the prediction for the risk of ESCC development and for the diagnosis of patients in preclinical and preneoplastic phase of the disease.

Short tandem repeat polymorphism in exon 4 of esophageal cancer related gene 2 predicts relapse of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms in exon 4 of esophageal cancer related gene 2 (ECRG2) are a prognostic marker for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus. The aim of the present study was to correlate these STRs with clinical outcome of the similar tumor type oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). DNA of 81 patients that underwent complete surgical resection of OSCC was analyzed for STRs TCA3/TCA3, TCA3/TCA4 and TCA4/TCA4 in exon 4 of ECRG2 by PCR, capillary electrophoresis and DNA sequencing. ECRG2 STR TCA3/TCA3 were found in 45 (56%), TCA3/TCA4 in 33 (41%) and TCA4/TCA4 in 3 (3%) patients. TCA3/TCA3 was significantly associated with reduced relapse-free survival of OSCC, compared with TCA3/TCA4 and TCA4/TCA4 genotypes (P<0.05; log-rank test). TCA3/TCA3 STR was independent prognostic factor determined by multivariate Cox regression analysis (p<0.05). STR polymorphism TCA3/TCA3 in exon 4 of ECRG2 is associated with poor relapse-free survival in surgically completely resected OSCC patients and might be a potential prognostic marker.

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MCM4 expression in esophageal cancer from southern China and its clinical significance

PURPOSE AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

MCM4 is a member of Minichromosome maintenance protein family. MCM2-7 proteins play an essential role in eukaryotic DNA replication and have been identified as components of DNA replication licensing factors. So far, no research on MCM4 has been reported in esophageal cancer. In this study, we detected via RT-PCR the expression status of MCM4 in esophageal cancer from southern China and therefore disclose the relationship between MCM4 and esophageal cancer.

RESULTS

65% (39/60) cases showed increased expression of MCM4 in the carcinomas when compared with normal esophageal epithelia in which no or low MCM4 expression was detected in most cases. Twenty of sixty cases (33%) showed increased expression of MCM4 in the adjacent epithelia. Furthermore, MCM4 expression in esophageal carcinomas was significantly higher than the one in the adjacent epithelia (chi square value is 12.037, P < 0.001). Significant difference for the expression status of MCM4 was found between the patients with histopathological stage T3 and stage T1 (chi square value = 4.038, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The increased expression of MCM4 might be associated with pathological staging of esophageal cancer. The alterations of MCM4 are possibly related to the earlier event of esophageal carcinogenesis. MCM4 is probably a valuable molecular marker involved in the development and/or genesis of esophageal cancer.