BACKGROUND Although the current conventional treatment strategies for esophageal carcinoma(EC)have been proven effective,they are often accompanied by serious adverse events.Therefore,it is still necessary to continue...BACKGROUND Although the current conventional treatment strategies for esophageal carcinoma(EC)have been proven effective,they are often accompanied by serious adverse events.Therefore,it is still necessary to continue to explore new therapeutic strategies for EC to improve the clinical outcome of patients.AIM To elucidate the clinical efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy(CCRT)with thalidomide(THAL)and S-1(tegafur,gimeracil,and oteracil potassium capsules)in the treatment of EC as well as its influence on serum tumor markers(STMs).METHODS First,62 patients with EC treated at the Zibo 148 Hospital between November 2019 and November 2022 were selected and grouped according to the received treatment.Among these,30 patients undergoing CCRT with cis-platinum and 5-fluorouracil were assigned to the control group(Con),and 32 patients receiving CCRT with THAL and S-1 were assigned to the research group(Res).Second,inter-group comparisons were carried out with respect to curative efficacy,incidence of drug toxicities,STMs[carbohydrate antigen 125(CA125)and macrophage inflammatory protein-3α(MIP-3α)],angiogenesis-related indicators[vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF);VEGF receptor-1(VEGFR-1);basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF);angiogenin-2(Ang-2)],and quality of life(QoL)[QoL core 30(QLQ-C30)]after one month of treatment.RESULTS The analysis showed no statistical difference in the overall response rate and disease control rate between the two patient cohorts;however,the incidences of grade I–II myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reactions were significantly lower in the Res than in the Con.Besides,the post-treatment CA125,MIP-3α,VEGF,VEGFR-1,bFGF,and Ang-2 Levels in the Res were markedly lower compared with the pre-treatment levels and the corresponding post-treatment levels in the Con.Furthermore,more evident improvements in QLQ-C30 scores from the dimensions of physical,role,emotional,and social functions were determined in the Res.CONCLUSION The above results demonstrate the effectiveness of THAL+S-1 CCRT for EC,which contributes to mild side effects and significant reduction of CA125,MIP-3α,VEGF,VEGFR-1,bFGF,and Ang-2 Levels,thus inhibiting tumors from malignant progression and enhancing patients’QoL.展开更多
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) is a prevalent and fatal cancer in China and other Asian countries.Epigenetic silencing of key tumor suppressor genes(TSGs) is critical to ESCC initiation and progression.Recen...Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) is a prevalent and fatal cancer in China and other Asian countries.Epigenetic silencing of key tumor suppressor genes(TSGs) is critical to ESCC initiation and progression.Recently,many novel TSGs silenced by promoter methylation have been identified in ESCC,and these genes further serve as potential tumor markers for high-risk group stratification,early detection,and prognosis prediction.This review summarizes recent discoveries on aberrant promoter methylation of TSGs in ESCC,providing better understanding of the role of disrupted epigenetic regulation in tumorigenesis and insight into diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for this malignancy.展开更多
AIM: To investigate the correlation between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and cell cycle-regulatory proteins in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: One hundred and two surgically obtained spec...AIM: To investigate the correlation between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and cell cycle-regulatory proteins in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: One hundred and two surgically obtained specimens of ESCC were randomly collected. All specimens were obtained from patients who had not received chemoor radiotherapy prior to surgical resection.Twenty-eight specimens of normal squamous epithelium served as controls. The expression of COX-2, Ki-67, cyclin A and p27 was examined by immunohistochemistry. The Pearson test was used to analyze the relationship between groups. RESULTS: The protein level of COX-2, Ki-67 and cyclin A was significantly higher in ESCC than in normal squamous epithelium (74.7±61.2 vs 30.2 ± 43.4, 64.0 ± 51.6 vs 11.6 ± 2.3, 44.2 ± 32.2 vs 11.7 ± 5.0, respectively, all P<0.01). In contrast, the protein level of p27 was signifi cantly lower in ESCC than in normal squamous epithelium (182.0 ±69.0 vs 266.4±28.0, P<0.01). In ESCC, COX-2 expression was correlated with T stage, the score of T1-T2 stage was lower than that of T3-T4 stage (55.0±42.3 vs 83.0 ± 66.5, P<0.05), and Ki-67, cyclin A and p27 expressions were correlated with the tumor differentiation (43.8±31.7 vs 98.4± 84.8, 32.0 ± 19.0 vs 54.1 ±53.7,206.2±61.5 vs 123.5±68.3, respectively, all P<0.01). COX-2 expression was positively correlated to Ki-67, cyclin A and negatively correlated to p27 expression in ESCC (r=0.270, 0.233 and-0.311, respectively, all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The expression of COX-2 is correlated with tumor cell invasion and is closely related to the cell proliferation in patients with ESCC.展开更多
AIM: To assess the prognostic value of serum human relaxin 2 (H2 RLN) level in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: From October 1998 to September 2009, 146 patients with histopathological...AIM: To assess the prognostic value of serum human relaxin 2 (H2 RLN) level in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: From October 1998 to September 2009, 146 patients with histopathologically confirmed ESCC were enrolled in this study. One hundred patients underwent en bloc esophagectomy, and 46 patients with unresectable tumors underwent palliative surgery. Five of the 146 patients died of surgical complications. Serum levels of H2 RLN were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between serum H2 RLN level and each of the clinicopathological parameters was analyzed using the χ2 test. Patients were classified into two groups according to their H2 RLN level (< 0.462 ng/mL vs ≥ 0.462 ng/mL). When any analysis cell had fewer than five cases, the Fisher's exact test was used. The statistical difference between groups A and B in each clinicopathological category was determined by the Student's t test (two-tailed) or analysis of variance. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. The statistical difference in survival between the different groups was compared using the log-rank test. Survival correlation with the prognostic factors was further investigated by multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model with backward stepwise likelihood ratio. RESULTS: ESCC patients tended to have significantly higher serum H2 RLN concentrations (0.48 ± 0.17 ng/ mL, n=141) compared with the healthy control group (0.342 ± 0.12 ng/mL, n=112). There was a significant difference between patients with lymph node involvement (0.74 ± 0.15 ng/mL, n=90), distant metastasis (0.90 ± 0.19 ng/mL, n=32) and those without lymph node involvement (0.45 ± 0.12 ng/mL, n=51), and distant metastasis (0.43 ± 0.14 ng/mL, n=109), respectively (P < 0.01). Patients with high H2 RLN levels (≥ 0.462 ng/mL) had a poorer prognosis than patients with low serum H2 RLN levels (< 0.462 ng/mL; P=0.0056). The H2 RLN level was also correlated with survival and tumor-node-metastasis staging, but not with age, tumor size, gender, lymphovascular invasion or the histological grade of tumors. Cox regression analysis showed that H2 RLN was an independent variable. CONCLUSION: Serum concentrations of H2 RLN are frequently elevated in ESCC patients and are correlated with disease metastasis and survival. Serum concentrations of H2 RLN may be an important prognostic marker in ESCC patients.展开更多
AIM:To determine the association between serum levels of growth-related gene product β(GROβ) and clinical parameters in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).METHODS:Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,serum ...AIM:To determine the association between serum levels of growth-related gene product β(GROβ) and clinical parameters in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).METHODS:Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,serum GROβ levels were measured in ESCC patients(n = 72) and healthy volunteers(n = 83).The association between serum levels of GROβ and clinical parameters of ESCC was analyzed statistically.RESULTS:The serum GROβ levels were much higher in ESCC patients than in healthy controls(median:645 ng/L vs 269 ng/L,P < 0.05).Serum GROβ levels were correlated positively with tumor size,lymph node metastasis,and tumor-node-metastasis(TNM) staging,but not with gender or the histological grade of tumors in ESCC patients.The sensitivity and specificity of the assay for serum GROβ were 73.61% and 56.63%,respectively.CONCLUSION:GROβ may function as an oncogene product and contribute to tumorigenesis and metastasis of ESCC.展开更多
AIM:To investigate the expression of thymidylate synthase(TS)and glutathione-s-transferaseπ(GST-π) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their association with the clinicopathologic characteristics. METHODS:Immu...AIM:To investigate the expression of thymidylate synthase(TS)and glutathione-s-transferaseπ(GST-π) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their association with the clinicopathologic characteristics. METHODS:Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expression of TS and GST-πin surgically resected formalin-fixed,paraffin-embedded esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)tissue sections from 102 patients(median age,58 years)and in 28 normal esophageal mucosa(NEM)samples.The relationship between TS and GST-πexpression and clinicopathologic factors was examined. RESULTS:The expression of TS and GST-πwas not statistically significantly associated with age of the patients,tumor size,lymph node metastasis,depth of invasion or tumor stage.TS staining was positive in 17.86%of normal esophageal mucosa and in 42.16% of ESCC samples(P<0.05).The expression level of TSwas not only significantly lower in well-differentiated (21.88%)than in poorly-differentiated carcinomas (51.43%,P<0.05),but was also significantly higher in samples from male patients(46.51%)than from female patients(18.75%,P<0.05).GST-πwas positively stained in 78.57%of normal esophageal mucosa and in 53.92%of ESCC samples(P<0.05).The expression level of GST-πwas also significantly higher in welldifferentiated carcinomas(65.63%)than in poorlydifferentiated carcinomas(35.00%,P<0.05). CONCLUSION:The expression of TS and of GST-πmay be used as molecular markers for the characterization of ESCC.Poorly-differentiated cells showed increased expression of TS and reduced expression of GST-π.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Although the current conventional treatment strategies for esophageal carcinoma(EC)have been proven effective,they are often accompanied by serious adverse events.Therefore,it is still necessary to continue to explore new therapeutic strategies for EC to improve the clinical outcome of patients.AIM To elucidate the clinical efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy(CCRT)with thalidomide(THAL)and S-1(tegafur,gimeracil,and oteracil potassium capsules)in the treatment of EC as well as its influence on serum tumor markers(STMs).METHODS First,62 patients with EC treated at the Zibo 148 Hospital between November 2019 and November 2022 were selected and grouped according to the received treatment.Among these,30 patients undergoing CCRT with cis-platinum and 5-fluorouracil were assigned to the control group(Con),and 32 patients receiving CCRT with THAL and S-1 were assigned to the research group(Res).Second,inter-group comparisons were carried out with respect to curative efficacy,incidence of drug toxicities,STMs[carbohydrate antigen 125(CA125)and macrophage inflammatory protein-3α(MIP-3α)],angiogenesis-related indicators[vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF);VEGF receptor-1(VEGFR-1);basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF);angiogenin-2(Ang-2)],and quality of life(QoL)[QoL core 30(QLQ-C30)]after one month of treatment.RESULTS The analysis showed no statistical difference in the overall response rate and disease control rate between the two patient cohorts;however,the incidences of grade I–II myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reactions were significantly lower in the Res than in the Con.Besides,the post-treatment CA125,MIP-3α,VEGF,VEGFR-1,bFGF,and Ang-2 Levels in the Res were markedly lower compared with the pre-treatment levels and the corresponding post-treatment levels in the Con.Furthermore,more evident improvements in QLQ-C30 scores from the dimensions of physical,role,emotional,and social functions were determined in the Res.CONCLUSION The above results demonstrate the effectiveness of THAL+S-1 CCRT for EC,which contributes to mild side effects and significant reduction of CA125,MIP-3α,VEGF,VEGFR-1,bFGF,and Ang-2 Levels,thus inhibiting tumors from malignant progression and enhancing patients’QoL.
基金supported by NSFC Joint Research Fund for Hong Kong and Macao Young Scholars(No.30928012)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81071634,81172582,and 30801344)Shenzhen Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars(No.JC201005270328A)
文摘Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) is a prevalent and fatal cancer in China and other Asian countries.Epigenetic silencing of key tumor suppressor genes(TSGs) is critical to ESCC initiation and progression.Recently,many novel TSGs silenced by promoter methylation have been identified in ESCC,and these genes further serve as potential tumor markers for high-risk group stratification,early detection,and prognosis prediction.This review summarizes recent discoveries on aberrant promoter methylation of TSGs in ESCC,providing better understanding of the role of disrupted epigenetic regulation in tumorigenesis and insight into diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for this malignancy.
基金Supported by The "333 Plan" Fund of Jiangsu Province, China, No. 2009-24
文摘AIM: To investigate the correlation between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and cell cycle-regulatory proteins in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: One hundred and two surgically obtained specimens of ESCC were randomly collected. All specimens were obtained from patients who had not received chemoor radiotherapy prior to surgical resection.Twenty-eight specimens of normal squamous epithelium served as controls. The expression of COX-2, Ki-67, cyclin A and p27 was examined by immunohistochemistry. The Pearson test was used to analyze the relationship between groups. RESULTS: The protein level of COX-2, Ki-67 and cyclin A was significantly higher in ESCC than in normal squamous epithelium (74.7±61.2 vs 30.2 ± 43.4, 64.0 ± 51.6 vs 11.6 ± 2.3, 44.2 ± 32.2 vs 11.7 ± 5.0, respectively, all P<0.01). In contrast, the protein level of p27 was signifi cantly lower in ESCC than in normal squamous epithelium (182.0 ±69.0 vs 266.4±28.0, P<0.01). In ESCC, COX-2 expression was correlated with T stage, the score of T1-T2 stage was lower than that of T3-T4 stage (55.0±42.3 vs 83.0 ± 66.5, P<0.05), and Ki-67, cyclin A and p27 expressions were correlated with the tumor differentiation (43.8±31.7 vs 98.4± 84.8, 32.0 ± 19.0 vs 54.1 ±53.7,206.2±61.5 vs 123.5±68.3, respectively, all P<0.01). COX-2 expression was positively correlated to Ki-67, cyclin A and negatively correlated to p27 expression in ESCC (r=0.270, 0.233 and-0.311, respectively, all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The expression of COX-2 is correlated with tumor cell invasion and is closely related to the cell proliferation in patients with ESCC.
文摘AIM: To assess the prognostic value of serum human relaxin 2 (H2 RLN) level in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: From October 1998 to September 2009, 146 patients with histopathologically confirmed ESCC were enrolled in this study. One hundred patients underwent en bloc esophagectomy, and 46 patients with unresectable tumors underwent palliative surgery. Five of the 146 patients died of surgical complications. Serum levels of H2 RLN were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between serum H2 RLN level and each of the clinicopathological parameters was analyzed using the χ2 test. Patients were classified into two groups according to their H2 RLN level (< 0.462 ng/mL vs ≥ 0.462 ng/mL). When any analysis cell had fewer than five cases, the Fisher's exact test was used. The statistical difference between groups A and B in each clinicopathological category was determined by the Student's t test (two-tailed) or analysis of variance. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. The statistical difference in survival between the different groups was compared using the log-rank test. Survival correlation with the prognostic factors was further investigated by multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model with backward stepwise likelihood ratio. RESULTS: ESCC patients tended to have significantly higher serum H2 RLN concentrations (0.48 ± 0.17 ng/ mL, n=141) compared with the healthy control group (0.342 ± 0.12 ng/mL, n=112). There was a significant difference between patients with lymph node involvement (0.74 ± 0.15 ng/mL, n=90), distant metastasis (0.90 ± 0.19 ng/mL, n=32) and those without lymph node involvement (0.45 ± 0.12 ng/mL, n=51), and distant metastasis (0.43 ± 0.14 ng/mL, n=109), respectively (P < 0.01). Patients with high H2 RLN levels (≥ 0.462 ng/mL) had a poorer prognosis than patients with low serum H2 RLN levels (< 0.462 ng/mL; P=0.0056). The H2 RLN level was also correlated with survival and tumor-node-metastasis staging, but not with age, tumor size, gender, lymphovascular invasion or the histological grade of tumors. Cox regression analysis showed that H2 RLN was an independent variable. CONCLUSION: Serum concentrations of H2 RLN are frequently elevated in ESCC patients and are correlated with disease metastasis and survival. Serum concentrations of H2 RLN may be an important prognostic marker in ESCC patients.
基金Supported by The Grants from International Science & Technology Cooperation and Exchange Programs, No. 2008DFA31130Joint China/South Africa Science and Technology Agreement+1 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81021061, No. 0772507 and No. 30700992State Key Projects for Basic Research of China, No. 2011CB910703
文摘AIM:To determine the association between serum levels of growth-related gene product β(GROβ) and clinical parameters in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).METHODS:Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,serum GROβ levels were measured in ESCC patients(n = 72) and healthy volunteers(n = 83).The association between serum levels of GROβ and clinical parameters of ESCC was analyzed statistically.RESULTS:The serum GROβ levels were much higher in ESCC patients than in healthy controls(median:645 ng/L vs 269 ng/L,P < 0.05).Serum GROβ levels were correlated positively with tumor size,lymph node metastasis,and tumor-node-metastasis(TNM) staging,but not with gender or the histological grade of tumors in ESCC patients.The sensitivity and specificity of the assay for serum GROβ were 73.61% and 56.63%,respectively.CONCLUSION:GROβ may function as an oncogene product and contribute to tumorigenesis and metastasis of ESCC.
基金Supported by The Key Medical Talent Foundation of Jiangsu Province,China,No.RC2007036
文摘AIM:To investigate the expression of thymidylate synthase(TS)and glutathione-s-transferaseπ(GST-π) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their association with the clinicopathologic characteristics. METHODS:Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expression of TS and GST-πin surgically resected formalin-fixed,paraffin-embedded esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)tissue sections from 102 patients(median age,58 years)and in 28 normal esophageal mucosa(NEM)samples.The relationship between TS and GST-πexpression and clinicopathologic factors was examined. RESULTS:The expression of TS and GST-πwas not statistically significantly associated with age of the patients,tumor size,lymph node metastasis,depth of invasion or tumor stage.TS staining was positive in 17.86%of normal esophageal mucosa and in 42.16% of ESCC samples(P<0.05).The expression level of TSwas not only significantly lower in well-differentiated (21.88%)than in poorly-differentiated carcinomas (51.43%,P<0.05),but was also significantly higher in samples from male patients(46.51%)than from female patients(18.75%,P<0.05).GST-πwas positively stained in 78.57%of normal esophageal mucosa and in 53.92%of ESCC samples(P<0.05).The expression level of GST-πwas also significantly higher in welldifferentiated carcinomas(65.63%)than in poorlydifferentiated carcinomas(35.00%,P<0.05). CONCLUSION:The expression of TS and of GST-πmay be used as molecular markers for the characterization of ESCC.Poorly-differentiated cells showed increased expression of TS and reduced expression of GST-π.
