High TMPRSS4 expression is a predictor of poor prognosis in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical role of TMPRSS4 expression in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) and to investigate the role of TMPRSS4 in predicting outcomes of patients with CSCC. The retrospective study enrolled 87 patients diagnosed with CSCC between 2004 and 2006. TMPRSS4 expression in CSCC was assessed by immunohistochemistry, and data on clinical variables were collected by retrospective chart review. The impact of TMPRSS4 expression on 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 5-year overall survival (OS) was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling. The high expression of TMPRSS4 was 63.2% in 87 patients with CSCC, and 17.5% in 40 patients with benign cervical disease (P<0.001). High TMPRSS4 expression was significantly associated with tumor grade (P=0.005), lymph node metastasis (P=0.004), and deep cervical stromal invasion (P=0.025). Patients with high expression of TMPRSS4 had shorter OS and DFS than those with low expression (P=0.0205 and P=0.0318, respectively). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high expression of TMPRSS4 was a potential prognostic indicator for OS (P=0.041) and DFS (P=0.015). Our findings suggest that TMPRSS4 might play an important role in the progression of CSCC. TMPRSS4 could be a potential prognostic marker of CSCC.

Cheng D ，Liang B ，Li Y 《-》

Significant effects of lymph and blood vascular invasion on the prognosis of early-stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

In the past 10 years, therapeutic advances have led to improved short-term efficacy for cervical carcinoma; however, the 5-year survival rate was not significantly enhanced. To investigate the effects of blood vessel invasion (BVI) and lymph vessel invasion (LVI) on the prognosis of early-stage cervical squamous carcinoma, we carried out immunohistochemical staining to distinguish blood and lymph vessels. Specimens from 111 IB-stage or IIA-stage cervical squamous carcinoma cases were examined for BVI and LVI by streptavidin-peroxidase immunohistochemistry using CD-34 and D2-40 monoclonal antibodies. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 13.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) statistical software. The survival rate and survival curve were derived by using the life table method and the Kaplan-Meier method, respectively. Multivariate prognosis analysis was conducted with Cox regression model, and prognosis was evaluated by measuring overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). BVI/LVI double positivity was an independent prognostic factor for both OS and PFS, whereas lymph node metastasis and surgical margin positivity affected only PFS. Patients inflicted with either BVI or LVI displayed no significant difference in survival time. Lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI), referring to blood and/or lymph vessel invasion correlated with lymph node metastasis, surgical margin positivity, depth of cervical interstitial invasion, squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SccAg) and age. LVSI was a risk factor for both recurrence (P = 0.013, relative risk 3.060) and death (P = 0.005, relative risk 4.512). Post-operation auxiliary external radiation did not improve survival for LVSI-positive cases. BVI/LVI double positivity constitutes an independent prognostic factor for early-stage cervical squamous carcinoma.

Zhang Y ，Yan M ，He J ，Sun J ，Sun X ... -  《-》

[Analysis of prognostic factors in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma of stage Ib and IIa].

Chen L ，Lü WG ，Xie X ，Chen HZ ，Yu H ，Ni XH ... -  《-》

Elevated CTHRC1 expression is an indicator for poor prognosis and lymph node metastasis in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) is overexpressed in different kinds of cancer tissues and may thus promote tumor formation. Thus, we aimed to explore whether CTHRC1 could be a predictor of clinical significance including survival in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Western blot analysis was conducted in 20 frozen tissue specimens of CSCC and 10 frozen tissue sections of normal cervix. Immunohistochemistry was performed in 130 tissues with CSCC. The relationships of CTHRC1 expression with clinicopathological variables, and prognosis of CSCCs were explored. Statistical analyses were carried out using χ2 test, multivariate Cox proportional-hazard model, Kaplan-Meier method, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The expression of the CTHRC1 protein was significantly higher in tumors than in normal tissues (P < .001). CTHRC1 overexpression was strongly associated with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (P = .038), histologic grade (P < .001), stromal infiltration depth (P < .001), lymphovascular space invasion (P = .023), lymph node metastasis (P = .001), and recurrence (P = .021). The multivariate proportional-hazard model revealed that CTHRC1 overexpression was an independent predictor of overall survival and disease-free survival (P = .034 and P = .025, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that high CTHRC1 expression was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis (odds ratio: 2.658; 95% confidence interval: 1.120-6.305; P = .020). Therefore, CTHRC1 may be a valuable biomarker for predicting the prognosis and metastasis of CSCC and a potential therapeutic target for treatment of the disease.

Li N ，Chen L ，Liu C ，Jiang Y ，Rong J ... -  《-》

Prognostic significance of TMPRSS4 in gastric cancer.

Sheng H ，Shen W ，Zeng J ，Xi L ，Deng L ... -  《NEOPLASMA》