Open Access

Stromal expression of cancer‑associated fibroblast‑related molecules, versican and lumican, is strongly associated with worse relapse‑free and overall survival times in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

  • Authors:
    • Naoto Yamauchi
    • Yasuyuki Kanke
    • Katsuharu Saito
    • Hirokazu Okayama
    • Shoki Yamada
    • Shotaro Nakajima
    • Eisei Endo
    • Koji Kase
    • Leo Yamada
    • Hiroshi Nakano
    • Takuro Matsumoto
    • Hiroyuki Hanayama
    • Yohei Watanabe
    • Suguru Hayase
    • Motonobu Saito
    • Zenichiro Saze
    • Kosaku Mimura
    • Tomoyuki Momma
    • Shinji Oki
    • Yuko Hashimoto
    • Koji Kono
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: April 6, 2021     https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2021.12706
  • Article Number: 445
  • Copyright: © Yamauchi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Cancer‑associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment play an essential role in the tumor progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The present study aimed to investigate the expression of CAF‑related molecules, versican, periostin and lumican, in cancer stroma, to provide prognostic stratification for patients with ESCC after surgery. A total of 106 patients with ESCC who underwent curative esophagectomy without preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy were enrolled. The expression of CAF‑related stromal proteins, including versican, periostin and lumican, was examined using immunohistochemistry, and the prognostic value was assessed by Kaplan‑Meier survival analysis, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. The expression of versican, periostin and lumican was found specifically in the stromal component of ESCC. Kaplan‑Meier analysis demonstrated that, compared with a low expression level, a high expression level of versican, periostin or lumican in the cancer stroma was significantly associated with worse relapse‑free survival (RFS) and overall survival times in patients with ESCC. The prognostic values of stromal versican and lumican remained significant in a stratified analysis of stage I patients. Moreover, univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that high stromal versican or lumican expression was an independent prognostic factor for RFS in the patients. The present study demonstrated that CAF‑related molecules, including versican, periostin and lumican, were expressed in the stroma of ESCC, and that stromal expression of versican and lumican in particular may have clinical utility as a prognostic biomarker for poor RFS in postoperative patients with ESCC.
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June-2021
Volume 21 Issue 6

Print ISSN: 1792-1074
Online ISSN:1792-1082

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Spandidos Publications style
Yamauchi N, Kanke Y, Saito K, Okayama H, Yamada S, Nakajima S, Endo E, Kase K, Yamada L, Nakano H, Nakano H, et al: Stromal expression of cancer‑associated fibroblast‑related molecules, versican and lumican, is strongly associated with worse relapse‑free and overall survival times in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Oncol Lett 21: 445, 2021
APA
Yamauchi, N., Kanke, Y., Saito, K., Okayama, H., Yamada, S., Nakajima, S. ... Kono, K. (2021). Stromal expression of cancer‑associated fibroblast‑related molecules, versican and lumican, is strongly associated with worse relapse‑free and overall survival times in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Oncology Letters, 21, 445. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2021.12706
MLA
Yamauchi, N., Kanke, Y., Saito, K., Okayama, H., Yamada, S., Nakajima, S., Endo, E., Kase, K., Yamada, L., Nakano, H., Matsumoto, T., Hanayama, H., Watanabe, Y., Hayase, S., Saito, M., Saze, Z., Mimura, K., Momma, T., Oki, S., Hashimoto, Y., Kono, K."Stromal expression of cancer‑associated fibroblast‑related molecules, versican and lumican, is strongly associated with worse relapse‑free and overall survival times in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma". Oncology Letters 21.6 (2021): 445.
Chicago
Yamauchi, N., Kanke, Y., Saito, K., Okayama, H., Yamada, S., Nakajima, S., Endo, E., Kase, K., Yamada, L., Nakano, H., Matsumoto, T., Hanayama, H., Watanabe, Y., Hayase, S., Saito, M., Saze, Z., Mimura, K., Momma, T., Oki, S., Hashimoto, Y., Kono, K."Stromal expression of cancer‑associated fibroblast‑related molecules, versican and lumican, is strongly associated with worse relapse‑free and overall survival times in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma". Oncology Letters 21, no. 6 (2021): 445. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2021.12706