[Expression of S100A4 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its relation to tumor invasion and metastasis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of S100A4 in the carcinogenesis, development, invasion and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of S100A4, MMP-2 and E-cadherin proteins in 100 cases of surgically resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma specimens. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expressions of S100A4 mRNA and protein in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma line EC-1 and TE-1. Boyden-chamber model in vitro was utilized to detect the invasion ability of EC-1 and TE-1 cells. RESULTS: The positivity rate of S100A4 protein was 52.0% was in esophageal carcinoma tissues, significantly higher than that in normal tissues (26.0%) (P<0.01). The expression of S100A4 was related to tumor grading, invasive depth and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). In esophageal carcinoma, the expression of S100A4 was positively correlated to MMP-2 expression (P<0.01), but inversely to E-cadherin expression (P<0.05). The expressions of S100A4 mRNA (0.894-/+0.021) and protein (0.897-/+0.053) in EC-1 cells were significantly higher than those in TE-1 (0.812-/+0.040 and 0.645-/+0.089, respectively, P<0.01), and the invasion ability of EC-1 cells was significantly higher than that of TE-1 cells (91.00-/+17.44 vs 61.80-/+11.10, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The overexpression of S100A4 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue and highly invasive EC-1 cells may contribute to the carcinogenesis, development, invasion and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.