The clinical significance of changes in ezrin expression in osteosarcoma of children and young adults

Abstract

Ezrin is a protein that functions as a cross-linker between actin cytoskeleton and plasma membrane. Its clinical role in osteosarcoma is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate, in osteosarcoma, the prognostic value of ezrin expression at biopsy and changes in expression levels after preoperative chemotherapy. Thirty-eight newly diagnosed osteosarcoma patients aged 6-23 years were included. At diagnosis, 20 patients had localized disease, the others had distant metastases. Median follow-up was 75 months (range 13-135). Ezrin expression was assessed immunohistochemically in biopsy tissue and primary tumour specimens resected after chemotherapy. The influence on survival of changes in ezrin expression after chemotherapy was analysed. Ezrin expression was significantly higher after preoperative chemotherapy and changes compared to biopsy tissue were significantly lower in patients with early progression than in patients with relapse or no further evidence of disease (p = 0.006 and p = 0.002, respectively). Similarly, ezrin expression was higher after preoperative chemotherapy and exhibited less change in expression in deceased patients compared to patients surviving more than 5 years (both p = 0.001). Ezrin expression at biopsy was significantly associated with both histopathological aggressiveness (p < 0.001) and tumour size (p = 0.037). The results of this study provide evidence that changes in overexpression of ezrin due to preoperative chemotherapy could be a useful predictive and prognostic marker in patients with osteosarcoma.

The clinical prognostic significance of ezrin in patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas: a meta‐analysis

“…Ezrin was suggested to be involved in the metastasis of osteosarcoma , and the underlying molecular mechanism involved in the modulation of metastasis by ezrin might be different in different cancers. Previous studies showed that a significant change in ezrin expression was correlated with tumor responses to chemotherapy . The results of the present study showed that ezrin expression was not correlated with tumor responses to chemotherapy.…”

EZR promotes pancreatic cancer proliferation and metastasis by activating FAK/AKT signaling pathway

“…Zhang et al [18] reported the expression level of EZR in breast cancer tissues was significantly upregulated compared to normal breast tissues (p < 0.01), high expression of EZR was correlated with poor overall survival (OS) in breast cancer, but high expression of EZR was not correlated with poor disease-free survival (DFS). Lugowska et al [39] suggested that preoperative chemotherapy could reverse the overexpression of EZR, it could be a useful predictive and prognostic marker in patients with osteosarcoma. Chang et al [40] certificated the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma-derived Small extracellular vesicles sEVs-Ezrin (sEV-EZR) could modulate macrophage polarization, and were correlated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma metastasis.…”

EZR Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Proliferation and Metastasis by Activating FAK/AKT Signaling Pathway

“…Rongju Zhang et al [18] reported the expression level of EZR in breast cancer tissues was signi cantly upregulated compared to normal breast tissues(P < 0.01), high expression of EZR was correlated with poor overall survival (OS) in breast cancer, but high expression of EZR was not correlated with poor disease-free survival(DFS). Iwona Lugowska et al [39] suggested that preoperative chemotherapy could reverse the overexpression of EZR, it could be a useful predictive and prognostic marker in patients with osteosarcoma. Yu-Ting Chang et al [40] certi cated the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma-derived Small extracellular vesicles sEVs-Ezrin (sEV-EZR) could modulate macrophage polarization, and were correlated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma metastasis.…”