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CXCR4 Expression is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

  • Translational Research and Biomarkers
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Abstract

Background

Chemokines and their receptors are known to play important roles in the tumorigenesis of many malignancies. The chemokine CXCL12 and its receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7 were suggested to be involved in cancer invasion and metastasis. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of the expressions of CXCL12, CXCR4 and CXCR7 in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods

We used immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to evaluate the expressions of CXCL12, CXCR4, and CXCR7 in ESCC patients’ tumor biopsy specimens obtained during preoperative endoscopy or surgery. These results were compared with the patients’ clinicopathological parameters and survival.

Results

IHC was conducted for 172 patients. High expression of CXCR4 in the cytoplasm and nuclei and that of CXCR7 were associated with poor cause-specific survival (CSS) (P= .002 and .010, respectively). The specimens from 52 of the 172 patients were examined by RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR. The expression levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) of CXCR4 and CXCR7 were significantly increased in the tumors compared with normal esophageal mucosae (P < .0001). The expression level of mRNA of CXCR4 was associated with poor recurrence-free survival and CSS (P = .012 and .038, respectively).

Conclusions

CXCR4 expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with ESCC.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. Toshio Yamaguchi for his help with the IHC analysis. This work was supported by a Grant-in Aid for Scientific Research (C), JSPS KAKENHI Grant No. 24591945.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thoracic, Endocrine Surgery and Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan

    Masakazu Goto MD, Takahiro Yoshida MD, PhD, Seiya Inoue MD, Naoya Kawakita MD, Takeshi Nishino MD, Hirokazu Takechi MD, PhD, Junichi Seike MD, PhD & Akira Tangoku MD, PhD

  2. Sainokuni Higashiomiya Medical Center, Saitama, Japan

    Yota Yamamoto MD, PhD

  3. Kochi Health Sciences Center, Kochi, Japan

    Yoshihito Furukita MD & Satoshi Fujiwara MD

  4. Shikoku Medical Center for Children and Adults, Kagawa, Japan

    Takuya Minato MD, PhD

  5. Tokushima Red Cross Hospital, Tokushima, Japan

    Yasuhiro Yuasa MD, PhD

  6. Kochi Red Cross Hospital, Kochi, Japan

    Hiromichi Yamai MD, PhD

  7. Department of Molecular and Environmental Pathology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan

    Yoshimi Bando MD, PhD

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  1. Masakazu Goto MD
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  2. Takahiro Yoshida MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takahiro Yoshida MD, PhD.

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Goto, M., Yoshida, T., Yamamoto, Y. et al. CXCR4 Expression is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 24, 832–840 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-015-4974-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-015-4974-5

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