Abstract:

Objective　To investigate the roles of Stat3, CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 in the tumorigenesis and early diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).　Methods　Using tissue microarray (TMA) technique and immunohistochemistry (IHC) method, Stat3, CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 protein expression were detected in tissue specimens of ESCC (860 cases), dysplasia (198 cases), basal cell hyperplasia (201 cases) and normal mucosa adjacent to cancer tissue (467 cases).　Results　(1) Stat3, CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 proteins were respectively detected in ESCC and dysplasia, which were significantly higher than that of other control group (P<0.05). (2) The expression of Stat3 and Bcl-2 protein were gradually increased, but CyclinD1 reduced, from the well to poorly differentiated ESCC. (3) The expression of Stat3, CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 significantly related to lymph node metastasis and infiltration depth (P<0.05), but not correlated with the age, gender, primary location, the size of tumor and gross appearance type (P>0.05). (4) There was significantly negative association between Stat3 and CyclinD1 (r=-0.699, P=0.000), however, the expression of Stat3 was positive related to the Bcl-2 expression(r=0.660, P=0.000).　Conclusions　Stat3, CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 may play important roles in tumorigenesis and progression of ESCC. Detection of CyclinD1 and Bcl-2 proteins may be helpful for the early diagnosis of ESCC.

Key words: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), Stat3 signaling pathway, Tissue microarray (TMA), Immunohistochemistry (IHC)