内皮素受体A表达与鼻咽癌预后的关系

背景与目的:内皮素受体A(endothelin A receptor,ETAR)激活参与肿瘤的生长及转移,包括细胞增殖、细胞凋亡、血管生成与肿瘤转移等作用。本研究探讨鼻咽癌组织中ETAR的表达与临床特征及预后的关系。方法:采用ETAR单克隆抗体对153例鼻咽癌组织中ETAR的表达进行免疫组化SABC技术检测。结果:鼻咽癌ETAR的阳性率为73.9%。ETAR的表达与性别、年龄、T分期、N分期及临床TNM分期无明显相关性(P>0.05)。ETAR阴性组和阳性组的3年总生存率分别为87.5%和73.2%(P=0.029),3年无瘤生存率分别为80.0%和57.3%(P=0.009),3年无局部区域复发生存率分别为86.9%和80.2%(P=0.228),3年无远处转移生存率分别为89.9%和70.4%(P=0.012)。Cox模型多因素分析显示ETAR表达、性别、年龄、T分期和N分期是影响总生存、无瘤生存及远处转移的独立预后因素。结论:ETAR的表达与鼻咽癌患者的远处转移风险有关,其高表达提示患者预后不良。

Correlation of endothelin A receptor expression to prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Endothelin A receptor (ETAR) activation contributes to tumor growth and metastasis, including cell proliferation, cell death, angiogenesis, and metastatic spread. In this study, we evaluated correlation of ETAR expression to clinical features of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and explored its correlation to prognosis. METHODS: Expression of ETAR in 153 specimens of NPC was detected by SABC immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Positive rate of ETAR was 73.9% in the 153 NPC specimens. No correlation was found between ETAR expression and gender, age, T stage, N stage, and TNM stage of the patients. The 3-year overall survival rate, relapse-free survival rate, and distant metastasis-free survival rate were significantly higher in ETAR-negative patients than in ETAR-positive patients (87.5% vs. 73.2%, P = 0.029; 80.0% vs. 57.3%, P = 0.009; and 89.9% vs. 70.4%, P = 0.012), except for local relapse-free survival rate (86.9% vs. 80.2%, P = 0.228). Cox multivariate analysis showed that ETAR expression, gender, age, T stage, and N stage were independent prognostic factors, which affected overall survival, relapse-free survival, and distant metastasis. CONCLUSION: ETAR expression is an important distant metastasis-related risk factor for patients with NPC; its overexpression indicates poor prognosis.