TESTIN和Caspase-3蛋白表达与食管鳞癌临床病理特征及预后的关系

The association of TESTIN and Caspase-3 protein expressions with clinicopathological features and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas

目的 检测食管鳞癌中TESTIN基因和Caspase-3蛋白表达水平,及与食管鳞癌临床病理特征及预后的关系.方法 应用免疫组化法检测50例食管鳞癌及癌旁＞5 cm组织中的TESTIN蛋白和Caspase-3蛋白的表达水平.Western印迹及半定量RT-PCR法检测65例配对人食管鳞癌和癌旁组织中TESTIN表达的差异.分析两因素表达的相关性及其与食管鳞癌临床病理特征及预后的关系.结果 50例食管鳞癌标本中,免疫组化结果显示TESTIN蛋白和Caspase-3蛋白阳性率分别为30.0%（15/50）和24.0%（12/50）,显著低于癌旁组织的84.0%（42/50）和94.0%（47/50）,组间差异有统计学意义（P值均＜0.01）.65例配对人食管鳞癌组织中,TESTIN mRNA的表达量显著低于癌旁组织（P＜0.05）;Western印迹检测结果显示,69.2%（45/65）的食管鳞癌组织TESTIN蛋白表达量比对应癌旁组织下降（P＜0.01）.TESTIN的表达与食管鳞癌分化程度有关,而与性别、年龄、肿瘤大小、TNM分期、淋巴结转移无关.食管鳞癌中TESTIN在蛋白水平与Caspase-3表达呈正相关.TESTIN蛋白阴性表达者的累计生存时间显著低于阳性者（P＜0.05）.结论 TESTIN和Caspase-3在食管鳞癌组织中的表达下调且呈正相关性,两者在食管鳞癌的发生发展过程中可能起协同作用,TESTIN对评价食管鳞癌的预后可能有较好价值.

Objective To investigate the expressions of TESTIN gene and Caspase-3 protein and thier relations with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas（ESCC）. Methods The expressions of TESTIN and Caspase-3 in 50 ESCC tissues and paracancerous tissues （＞5 cm apart form the ESCC tissue） were detected by immunohistochemistry.The expression of TESTIN in 65 matched-pairs of ESCC tissues was detected by Western blotting and RT-PCR. The association of TESTIN and Caspase-3 with clinicopathological features and prognosis of ESCC were analyzed. Results The immunohistochemistry examination showed that the positive rates of TESTIN protein [30. 0% （15/50）] and Caspase-3 protein [24.0% （ 12/50）] were significantly lower in ESCC tissues than those in paracancerous tissues [（84. 0% （42/50） and 94. 0% （47/50）,respectively, P＜0.01）]. The mRNA level of TESTIN was down-regulated in ESCC tissues （P＜0.05）. Whereas the protein level of TESTIN was down-regulated in 45 （69.2%） of 65 ESCC tissues in comparison with paracancerous tissues. TESTIN expression was positively correlated with the differentiation of ESCC, but not associated with gender, age, tumor size, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. There was a positive correlation between TESTIN and Caspase-3 in protein expressions （P＜0. 05）. Patients with negative expression of TESTIN had lower survival rate compared to those with positive expression （P＜0. 05）. Conclusions The positive relation between low-expression of TESTIN and Caspase-3 implicates that both are involved in the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinogenesis, and TESTIN might be a novel ESCC marker with prognostic significance.