Prognostic significance of low expression of B-cell translocation gene 1 (BTG1) in skin squamous cell carcinoma

ABSTRACT

Although the B-cell translocation gene 1 (BTG1) plays an important role in apoptosis and negatively regulatescell proliferation, BTG1 expression in skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has not been reported. In this study,we wanted to investigate the significance of BTG1 expression in SCC and adjacent tissues. The expression ofBTG1 protein and mRNA in SCC tissues and adjacent tissues were detected by immunohistochemistrytechnique (IHC), Western blot and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). IHC stainingshowed that the positive expression rate of BTG1 protein in SCC tissues was 54.00%; and the positive rate was90.50% in the adjacent tissues. Western blot showed that the expression of BTG1 protein in SCC tissues wassignificantly lower than that in the adjacent tissues (P\0.05). RT-PCR showed that the positive rate of BTG1mRNA in SCC was 50.50%, which was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues 89.00% (P\0.05).Both BTG1 mRNA and protein expression are related to tumor diameter, stage, tumor metastasis and thedegree of tumor differentiation in SCC. Patients exhibiting lower BTG1 protein expression in the SCC tissueshad a significantly shorter disease-specific survival rate. BTG1 protein expression, tumor diameter, tumors siteand stage were independent factors affecting the overall survival of postoperative patients. Further, BTG1overexpression inhibited A431 cell proliferation ability, while BTG silencing enhanced A431 cell proliferationability. The lower expression of BTG1 in SCC may be associated with the occurrence, development andprognosis of SCC.