NFAT蛋白各亚型在食管鳞癌组织中的表达与临床病理因素间的关系

背景与目的：研究发现，活化T细胞核因子(nuclear factor of activated T cells，NFAT)与多种恶性肿瘤关系密切，食管鳞癌是我国最常见的恶性肿瘤之一。本研究探讨食管鳞癌组织NFAT各亚型的表达及其与食管鳞癌各临床病理因素的关系。方法：采用免疫组化法检测104例食管鳞癌组织和癌旁食管黏膜组织中NFAT各亚型的表达情况。结果：NFAT1～4在食管鳞癌组织中阳性表达率分别为53.8%、10.6%、26.9%和45.2%，与在癌旁食管黏膜组织中的表达差异有统计学意义(P<0.001)。NFAT1的表达与饮酒史(62.3% vs 37.1%，P=0.01)、淋巴结转移(68.4% vs 5.5%，P=0.002)及较晚的分期(58.7% vs 36.2%，P=0.02)密切相关，多因素分析提示NFAT1过表达仅与淋巴结转移相关。淋巴结转移者的NFAT3表达率(39.4%)明显高于无淋巴结转移者(19.7%)。结论：NFAT蛋白在食管鳞癌组织中过表达，NFAT1与NFAT3的表达率与淋巴结转移密切相关，可能在肿瘤的发生、发展中起一定作用。

Expression and clinical significance of NFAT isoforms in squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus

Background and purpose: It was reported that nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)　is closely related with carcinomas. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common carcinomas in China. The present study investigated the expression and clinical significance of NFAT isoforms in ESCC. Methods: The expression of NFAT isoforms and the differences in different pathological levels of ESCC were detected in 104 specimens of human ESCC tissues and normal esophageal tissues by immunohistochemistry. Results: This study found that the positive rates of NFAT1 (53.8%), NFAT2 (10.6%), NFAT3 (26.9%), NFAT4 (45.2%) expression were significantly higher in tumor tissues than in adjacent normal esophageal tissues (P<0.001), respectively. The positive rate of NFAT1 expression was significantly higher in drinkers (62.3%) than nondrinkers (37.1%, P=0.01), and also higher in patients with lymph node metastasis (68.4% vs 5.5%, P=0.002) and with late stage (58.7% vs 36.2%, P=0.02). Multivariate analysis showed that NFAT1 expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis. The positive rate of NFAT3 was significantly higher in patients with lymph node metastasis (39.4%) than in those without lymph node metastasis (19.7%, P=0.03). Conclusion: These results suggest that the overexpression of NFAT1 and NFAT3 is associated with lymph node metastasis in ESCC.