Taghavi N, Biramijamal F, Sotoudeh M, Moaven O, Khademi H, Abbaszadegan MR, Malekzadeh R. Association of p53/p21 expression with cigarette smoking and prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. World J Gastroenterol 2010; 16(39): 4958-4967 [PMID: 20954283 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i39.4958]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Firouzeh Biramijamal, PhD, Department of Medical Genetics, National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Shahrak-e Pajoohesh, 17km, Tehran-Karaj High way, PO Box 14965/161, Tehran 14977-16316, Iran. f.birami@nigeb.ac.ir
Article-Type of This Article
Brief Article
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Noushin Taghavi, Firouzeh Biramijamal, Department of Medical Genetics, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran 14977-16316, Iran
Masoud Sotoudeh, Hooman Khademi, Reza Malekzadeh, Digestive Disease Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shariati Hospital, North Karegar Ave, Tehran 14117-13135, Iran
Omeed Moaven, Mohammad Reza Abbaszadegan, Division of Human Genetics, Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 91967-73117, Iran
Author contributions: Taghavi N, Biramijamal F, Sotoudeh M and Malekzadeh R designed the research; Taghavi N performed the research; Taghavi N, Moaven O and Khademi H analyzed the data; Taghavi N and Moaven O wrote the paper; Biramijamal F, Abbaszadegan MR and Malekzadeh R scientifically edited the paper.
Supported by The National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Projects No. 291, 316; and the Digestive Diseases Research Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Correspondence to: Firouzeh Biramijamal, PhD, Department of Medical Genetics, National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Shahrak-e Pajoohesh, 17km, Tehran-Karaj High way, PO Box 14965/161, Tehran 14977-16316, Iran. f.birami@nigeb.ac.ir
Telephone: +98-21-44580382 Fax: +98-21-44580399
Received: April 28, 2010 Revised: May 27, 2010 Accepted: June 3, 2010 Published online: October 21, 2010
Abstract
AIM: To investigate the expression of p53 and p21 and associations with possible risk factors, such as cigarette smoking, in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in northeastern Iran, a region with a high incidence of ESCC.
METHODS: The expression of p53 and p21 proteins was investigated immunohistochemically in tumor tissue from 80 ESCC patients and in 60 available paraffin-embedded blocks of adjacent normal specimens from the cases, along with normal esophageal tissue from 80 healthy subjects.
RESULTS: Positive expression of p53 protein was detected in 56.2% (45/80) of ESCC cases, and in none of the normal esophageal tissue of the control group (P < 0.001). Furthermore, 73.8% (59/80) of ESCC cases and 43.8% (35/80) of controls had positive expression of p21 protein (P < 0.001). Cigarette smoking was significantly associated with p53 over-expression in ESCC cases (P = 0.010, OR = 3.64; 95% CI: 1.32-10.02). p21 over-expression was associated with poorer clinical outcome among the ESCC patients (P = 0.009).
CONCLUSION: Over-expression of p53 in association with cigarette smoking may play a critical role in ESCC carcinogenesis among this high-risk population of northeastern Iran. Furthermore, p21 over-expression was found to be associated with poor prognosis, specifically in the operable ESCC patients.
