Altered Expression Of Ezrin In Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

ERM proteins are the most studied tumor markers in the recent years. ERM proteins refer to Ezrin-Radixin-Moesin and they share high sequence identity. They are located mainly at protrusions and membrane extended regions. The fundamental function of ERM proteins is serving as linkers between cell membrane and actin cytoskeleton, thus stabilizing the specialized surface structures such as microvilli and membrane protrusions. ERM proteins are known to assist in the localization of cell adhesion molecules and be involved in cell adhesion of the extracellular matrix, as well as in cell-cell interactions, receptor tyrosine-kinase signaling, signal transduction through Rho GTPase and interaction with the Akt-mediated cellular apoptotic machinery. They are associated with tumorigenesis and tumor development especially the metastasis by stabilizing the·cell shape and motility.Our group previously proved Ezrin was overexpressed in malignantly transformed esophageal epithelial cell line (SHEEMT) compared with immortalized phase cell line (SHEEIMM). Up to the present, however, there have been few reports about how Ezrin was expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and what its relation was with the clinical and pathological parameters such as lymph node status, histopathological grades and clinical grades. Thus, based on our previous study of Ezrin on esophageal epithelial cell lines, we continued our work in an attempt to identify Ezrin expression pattern and the expression levels of the other two members -Radixin and Moesin in ESCC specimens, perhaps the results may give us a further understand about the role of ERM proteins in the development of ESCC.Content and Methods1. Collect 89 paraffin sections, including 40 ESCC, 42 normal esophageal mucosa and 7 special paraffin sections of full-length mucosa layer from the distant margin to the cancer focus of the excised esophagus, for immunohistochemical staining, the aim is to detect the distribution of Ezrin in these tissue.2. Collect fresh ESCC tissues and the adjacent normal tissues for western blot to detect the expression level of Ezrin, Moesin, Radixin and PCNA.3. Perform real time RT-PCR to detect the mRNA level of Ezrin in fresh ESCC tissues and the adjacent normal tissues, and β-actin serves as the internal control.Result1. Ezrin immunoreactivity was apparent in the cell membrane of most adjacent normal...