ABSTRACT
Background: Esophageal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide. T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (Tim-3) has been shown to be implicated in the tumor immune escape, and associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in a variety of malignancies. Aims: To investigate the expression of Tim-3 in esophageal tumorigenesis and its clinical significance. Methods: Paraffin-embedded tissues from 103 esophageal cancer, 21 high-grade esophageal intraepithelial neoplasia, 16 low-grade esophageal intraepithelial neoplasia, and 20 chronic esophagitis were collected in this study. Using immunohistochemistry, the expression level of Tim-3 was evaluated; and the correlation of Tim-3 expression in cancerous tissue with the clinicopathological parameters of esophageal cancer was analyzed. Results: Tim-3 expression was increased from chronic esophagitis, low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia to esophageal cancer (0.271±0.138, 0.368±0.198, 0.443±0.147, and 0.639±0.119, P0.05). Conclusions: Tim-3 expression is increased in esophageal tumorigenesis; overexpression of Tim-3 in esophageal cancer is closely correlated with tumor progression. Tim-3 might be served as a biomarker for development, progression and prognosis of esophageal cancer.