The Prognostic Value of Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptor in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Background: The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) has previously been reported as an oncogene in prostate, breast and colorectal cancers, but its prognostic value, biological behavior and function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been investigated.Methods: qRT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to detect PBR expression in ESCC and matched non-cancerous tissues. Based on all of the significantly independent factors, a nomogram was established to predict the prognosis of ESCC patients. In addition, we performed comprehensive in vitro experiments to study the functions of PBR in cell growth, colony formation, and migration ability, as well as its relationship with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related proteins in ESCC cells.Results: The mRNA and protein expression levels of PBR in ESCC were higher than those in adjacent non-tumor esophageal epithelial tissues. The IHC results demonstrated that PBR expression was an independent prognostic factor in ESCC survival, patients with higher PBR expression had a poorer survival than those with low expression, and PBR expression was significantly associated with lymphoid nodal status. Furthermore, a nomogram was established to reliably predict the probability of death in ESCC patients, with a Harrell's c-index of 0.696. In the vitro experiments, knocking down the expression of PBR inhibited proliferation, colony formation and migration of ESCC cells, and regulated EMT-associated proteins (up-regulation of E-cadherin, ZO-1 and β-catenin and concomitant with down-regulation of Fibronectin and N-cadherin).Conclusions: PBR is an independent prognostic factor in ESCC, and it promotes ESCC progression and metastasis. Basing on PBR expression level, a nomogram is established and performs a well in predicting survival of ESCC patients.

Histone deacetylase 6 expression in metastatic lymph nodes is a valuable prognostic marker for resected node-positive esophageal squamous cell cancer

“…Although gene or protein expression in the PT is often related to lymphatic, distant metastases and prognosis, it has failed to show a similar predictive value in N+ ESCC patients. 33 , 34 Tumor heterogeneity may be part of the reason for this phenomenon. It is now believed that intra-tumor heterogeneity reflects the ongoing linear and branching evolution, resulting in multiple simultaneous subclones that may individually be capable of giving rise to metastasis.…”

TSPO is a potential independent prognostic factor associated with cellular respiration and p16 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

“…Several studies have shown that TSPO expression is elevated in cancer and correlate with poor survival in glioblastoma (30,31), breast cancer (32,33), prostate cancer (33,34), liver cancer (35,36), colorectal cancer (33,37,38), melanoma (39), and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (40). However, there is relatively little information on the possible prognostic role of TSPO in HNSCC.…”