The key features of
malignant neoplasms are their local invasiveness and metastatic potential.
Syndecan-1 - integral membrane
heparan sulfate proteoglycan and
cathepsins D and K - lysosomal
proteases are important factors influencing different aspects of these processes. The study was undertaken to determine their expression in
esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and analyze relationship to selected clinicopathological features as well as to survival.
Formalin-fixed,
paraffin-embedded sections from 39 advanced
esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were used for immunohistochemical staining. The epithelial and stromal staining were evaluated separately and compared to conventional clinicopathological features and one-year survival. Positive epithelial immunostaining for
syndecan-1,
cathepsin D and K were observed in 82.05%, 56.41% and 30.77% of
tumors, respectively. However, stromal staining was noted in 51.28%, 51.28% and 46.15% ones, respectively. Epithelial syndecan-1-positive cases were significantly more frequent in well- and moderately differentiated
carcinomas. Stromal
cathepsin D expression predominated in
tumors with infiltrative growth pattern. However, there were no statistically significant differences between any marker-positive and -negative groups with respect to other clinicopathological features studied. The only factors significantly influencing one-year survival were epithelial
cathepsin D staining and distant
metastasis. In a group of patients who survived one year post surgery, the percentage of cases with negative epithelial
cathepsin D staining and without features of distant
metastasis were higher. The results may suggest a relationship between
syndecan-1 and
cathepsins D and K with growth and invasiveness of
esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but such thesis requires further study on a larger and more heterogeneous population.