The expression of type IV collagen alpha6 chain is related to the prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The destruction of the basement membrane (BM) is the first step in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Type IV collagen is a major component of the BM, and is composed of six genetically distinct alpha(IV) chains: alpha1(IV) to alpha6(IV). The loss of alpha5/alpha6(IV) chains from the epithelial BM at the early stage of cancer cell invasion has been reported in several cancers. However, the expression of alpha5/alpha6(IV) chains in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear.

METHODS:

The expression of alpha(IV) chains in 116 resected ESCC specimens was immunohistochemically examined. The role of alpha6(IV) chain was assessed in ESCC cell lines by short interfering RNA (siRNA).

RESULTS:

In intraepithelial carcinoma, the alpha5/alpha6(IV) chains were stained in a continuous linear pattern in the BM. In some cases of ESCC with the invasion beyond the lamina propria, the alpha5/alpha6(IV) chains were lost in the BM zone surrounding the cancer cell nests, but in other cases they remained. In the former, the disease-free survival and overall survival were significantly better than in those with the latter. The down-regulation of alpha6(IV) chain expression by siRNA revealed a slight increase of cancer cell invasiveness.

CONCLUSIONS:

The evaluation of alpha5/alpha6(IV) chains may be a useful marker for determining tumor cell properties, as a prognostic factor, in patients with ESCC.

• Authors: Yoshifumi Baba, Ken-Ichi Iyama, Koei Ikeda, Shinji Ishikawa, Naoko Hayashi, Nobutomo Miyanari, Yoshikazu Sado, Yoshifumi Ninomiya, Hideo Baba
• Journal: Annals of surgical oncology (Ann Surg Oncol) Vol. 15 Issue 2 Pg. 555-65 (Feb 2008) ISSN: 1534-4681 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 17955302 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• COL4A5 protein, human
• Collagen Type IV

Topics

• Aged
• Blotting, Western
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (metabolism, mortality, pathology)
• Collagen Type IV (metabolism)
• Disease-Free Survival
• Esophageal Neoplasms (metabolism, mortality, pathology)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Male
• Microdissection
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Prognosis
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Survival Analysis