Snail、Slug和E-cadherin在鼻咽癌中的表达及临床意义

Expression of the Snail,Slug,and E-cadherin and their clinical significance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

目的研究转录因子Snail、Slug和E-cadherin在鼻咽癌组织中的表达,并探讨其临床意义。方法采用实时定量PCR和免疫组化法检测65例鼻咽癌样本和18例鼻咽炎性组织中Snail、Slug、E-cadherin基因的mRNA和蛋白表达情况,分析三者表达和鼻咽癌临床分期及转移的关系。结果 随着鼻咽癌分期的增高,Slug基因的表达逐渐增加(I期0.54±0.20,Ⅱ期0.85±0.28,Ⅲ期0.89±0.21,Ⅳ期1.03±0.18),E-cadherin的表达呈下降趋势(I期58.54±20.13,Ⅱ期45.12±13.56,Ⅲ期24.68±10.08,Ⅳ期14.37±9.16),而Snail的表达无显著变化(I期0.57±0.19,Ⅱ期0.70±0.22,Ⅲ期0.75±0.24,Ⅳ期0.66±0.31)。E-cadherin的表达与鼻咽癌的淋巴结转移和远端转移有相关性(P<0.05),Snail、Slug的表达与淋巴结转移及远端转移无统计学相关性(P>0.05)。结论鼻咽癌中存在Slug和E-cadherin两个基因的表达失调,提示两者参与了鼻咽癌的发病过程。

OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of transcription factors Snail,Slug and cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma（NPC）and evaluate their relationship with clinical pathological features and metastases.METHODS Immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were carried out to detect the expression of Snail,Slug and E-cadherin in 65 NPC samples and normal nasopharyngeal mucosa（18 cases）.The expression of Snail and Ecadherin in distinct differentiation nasopharyngeal carcinoma was analyzed and the relationship of them with clinical pathological features was discussed.RESULTS Real-time PCR analysis and immunohistochemistry showed that Slug was elevated with increasing tumor grade.E-cadherin expression was reduced corresponding with prognostic indices and tumor.Snail showed no obvious change.The relative expression levels of E-cadherin mRNA were significantly different between lymph node metastasis group and nometastasis group（P0.05）.CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that Slug and E-cadherin have inappropriate expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and that may play a part in the progression of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma.