Expression of Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1 $\alpha$ in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Relationship to Prognosis and Tumor Biomarkers

식도 편평세포암에시 Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1 $\alpha$의 발현: 예후와 종양표지자와의 상관성

  • 양일종 (고신대학교 의과대학 흉부외과학교실) ;
  • 김종인 (고신대학교 의과대학 흉부외과학교) ;
  • 이해영 (고신대학교 의과대학 흉부외과학교) ;
  • 천봉권 (고신대학교 의과대학 병리학교) ;
  • 조성래 (고신대학교 의과대학 흉부외과학교실)
  • Published : 2004.08.01

Abstract

Background: Tissue hypoxia is a characteristic of many human malignant neoplasms, and hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) plays a pivotal role in essential adaptive response to hypoxia, and activates a signal pathway for the expression of the hypoxia-regulated genes, resulting in increased oxygen delivery or facilitating metabolic adaptation to hypoxia. Increased level of HIF-1 a has been reported in many human malignancies, but in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the influence of HIF-1 a on tumor biology, including neovascularization, is not still defined. Material and Method: The influence of HIF-1 a expression on angiogenic factors, correlation between the tumor proliferation and HIF-1 a expression, interaction of HIF-1 a expression and p53, and correlation between HIF-1 a expression and clinicopathological prognostic parameters were investigated, using immunohistochemical stains for HIF-1 a, VEGF, CD34, p53, and Ki-67 on 77 cases of resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Result: HIF-1 a expression in cancer cells was found in 33 of 77 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cases. The 33 cases (42.9%) showed positive stain for HIF-1 a. High HIF-1 a expression was significantly associated with several pathological parameters, such as histologic grade (p=0.032), pathological TMN stage (p=0.002), the depth of tumor invasion (p=0.022), regional lymph node metastasis (p=0.002), distant metastasis (p=0.049), and lymphatic invasion (p=0.004). High HIF-1 a expression had significant VEGF immunoreactivity (p=0.008) and Ki-67 labeling index (p<0.001), but was not correlated with microvascular density within tumors (p=0.088). The high HIF-1 a expression was correlated with aberrant p53 accumulation with a marginal significance (p=0.056). The overall 5-year survival rate was 34.9%. The survival rate of patients with a high HIF-1 a expression was worse than that of patients with low-expression tumors (log-rank test, p=0.0001). High HIF-1 a expression was independent unfavorable factors although statistical significance is marginal in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: It is suggested that (1) high HIF-1 a expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is associated with tumor hypoxia, or with genetic alteration in early carcinogenesis and progressive stages, (2) high HIF-1 a expression may be associated with intratumoral neovascularization through HIF-VEGF pathway, and (3) high HIF-1 a expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and may playa role as biomarker for regional lymph node metastasis.

배경: 악성종양에서 신생혈관 생성 및 당분해의 증가는 저산소 상태의 미세환경을 나타내며, 이는 종양의 침습성, 전이 등으로 환자의 예후와 관련이 있는 것으로 알려져 있다. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1(HIF-1)는 당원 수송체, 당분해 효소, 혈관내피세포 성장인자 등의 유전자의 전사를 활성화한다고 알려져 있다. 그리고 HIF-1의 전사 활성도는 HIF-1 a subunit의 표현이 조절되는 정도에 의존한다. 그러나 식도암에서 HIF-1의 발현과 혈관 생성능 및 종양세포 증식능과의 관계 및 예후에 관한 연구는 전무하다. 대상 및 방법: 고신대학교 의과대학 흉부외과학교실에서 1995년부터 2000년까지 수술치험한 77예의 식도 편평세포암 환자의 조직에서 채취한 정상 편평상피와 암조직에서 면역조직화학검사를 이용하여 HIF-1 a의 발현을 조사하고 혈관생성인자, 증식지수, p53 단백과의 상관관계, 임상-병리학적인 인자 및 생존율과의 상관관계를 분석하였다. 결과: HIF-1 a의 고발현율은 42.9% (33예/77예)였다. HIF-1 a의 고발현은 조직학적 등급(p=0.032), 병리학적 병기(p=0.002), 종양 침윤의 깊이(p=0.022), 주위 림프절 전이(p=0.002), 원격전이(p=0.049), 림프관 침윤(p=0.004)과 관련이 있었다. HIF-1 a의 고발현은 혈관내피세포 성장인자의 발현, Ki-67 증식지수와 관련이 있었으나, 미세혈관수와는 관련이 없었고, p53의 발현과는 관련이 있는 경향을 보였다. 단변량분석과 다변량분석에서 HIF-1 a의 고발현은 불량한 예후를 나타내는 인자로 보였다. 결론: 식도 편평세포암 조직에서 HIF-1 a의 발현은 종양조직내 신생혈관의 생성과 관련이 있는 것으로 나타났고, 고발현 된 경우는 림프절 전이와 수술 후 불량한 예후를 나타내었으므로 보다 강화된 치료전략이 필요할 것으로 사료된다.

Keywords

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