Up-regulation of HOXA13 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma of stage IIa and its effect on the prognosis / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of HOXA13 gene in stage-II(a esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC), and to evaluate its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of HOXA13 was examined by immunohistochemistry(IHC) in specimens from 39 patients with ESCC of stage-II(a, who underwent resection from 1995 to 2002. SPSS software was used to analyze the relationship between HOXA13 expression and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of HOXA13 protein was detected in ESCC tissue, and the positive rate was 61.5%. The median survival time of patients without HOXA13 expression(>72 months) was significantly longer than those with HOXA13 expression (24 months)( P=0.023). Multivariate analysis showed that HOXA13 expression was independent predictor of disease-free survival time of patients with ESCC.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of HOXA13 can be detected in ESCC and is a negative independent predictor of disease-free survival, which implies that HOXA13 might play a role in ESSC, and may be used as a clinical tumor marker of ESCC.</p>

Evaluation of transhiatus esophagectomy for patients with esophageal cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the transhiatus esophagectomy for patients with esophageal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinicopathological data of 46 patients with esophageal cancer undergone transhiatus esophagectomy by single surgeon team from May 2000 to July 2007 were analyzed retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>These 46 patients included 44 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas,1 esophageal adenocarcinoma and 1 esophageal carcinoid. The lesions of 11 patients located at neck segment, 21 at upper segment, 5 at middle segment, and 9 at lower segment. All the patients were classified according to UICC TNM stage classification: 3 cases as stage 0, 6 cases as stage I, 17 cases as stage II a, 2 cases as stage II b, 16 cases as stage III. Six patients received preoperative chemotherapy and pathological complete response was seen in 2 cases. Reconstruction with stomach was performed in 42 cases and with colon interposition in 4 cases.All the tumors were resected, and there was no perioperative death. All the resected margins were pathologically clear. Postoperative complications occurred in 12 cases and were successfully treated, including 2 cases of hoarseness, 3 cases of cardiac arrhythmia,1 case of bilateral pleural effusion, and 6 cases of small anastomotic leakage at neck.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Transhiatus esophagectomy is an ideal choice in surgical treatment for patients with esophageal cancer, especially for the ones of aged, poor cardiac or pulmonary function, who can not afford the thoracotomy.</p>

Expression of 39 HOX genes in esophageal cancer cell lines / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify whether HOX genes can be used as markers of esophageal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of 39 HOX genes in esophageal cancer cell lines was examined. Specific primers were designed and RT- PCR was performed for each HOX gene members in above esophageal cancer cell lines, EC109 and CAES.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Fifteen out of 39 HOX genes were expressed in esophageal cancer cell lines. They were HOXA2, HOXA7, HOXA9, HOXA10, HOXA13, HOXB7, HOXB9, HOXC4, HOXC5, HOXC6, HOXC8, HOXC9, HOXD9, HOXD10, and HOXD13 respectively. Of them. Eleven genes were overlapped with the ones detected in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) in our former study.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study reconfirms our former that some HOX genes are deregulated expressed in ESCC, which provides more positive evidence for their roles in ESCC.</p>