Relationship between expression of survivin mRNA, caspase-3 and cell apoptosis in esophageal carcinoma

Objective:To investigate the relationship between expression of survivin mRNA and caspase-3 and cell apoptosis in esophageal cancer. Methods:We detected expression of survivin mRNA in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues and the corresponding esophageal normal tissues by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of caspase-3 protein in all samples. Carcinoma cell apoptosis was assessed using terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). Results:The results showed that survivin mRNA expression was detected in (73.68%) esophageal squamous cell cancer tissues and was significantly higher than in normal tissues, with significant difference in cell differentiation and clinical stages, without significant difference in age, gender and lymph node metastasis. The caspase-3 protein was detected in 10 of 38 (26.32%) esophageal cancer tissues and in 34 of 38 (89.47%) esophageal normal tissues, with significant difference. Expression of caspase-3 was significantly associated with histological stages, but not with age, gender, lymph node-metastasis, and clinical stages. Survivin expression in esophageal carcinoma tissues was inversely related to caspase-3 expression. Average apoptosis index of survivin mRNA positive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues group was significantly lower than that of survivin mRNA negetive group. Average apoptosis index of caspase-3 protein positive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues group was significantly higher than that of caspase-3 protein negetive group. Conclusion:Survivin and caspase-3 may play a significant role in the carcinogenesis of the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and maybe associated with the prognosis of the cancer. Survivin exert probably the use of restraining cell apoptosis by the pathway of caspase-3.