842

CASP9

caspase 9, apoptosis-related cysteine peptidase;CASP9;caspase 9, apoptosis-related cysteine peptidase

ICE-like apoptotic protease 6|apoptotic protease MCH-6|apoptotic protease activating factor 3|caspase-9|protein phosphatase 1, regulatory subunit 56

1p36.21

protein-coding

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of inhibitory member of the apoptosis stimulating protein of p53 family (iASPP) and caspase-9 in the esophageal cancer (EC) tissues and their correlations with clinical pathological parameters. METHODS: Using streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), the protein and mRNA expressions of iASPP and caspase-9 were detected in 85 EC samples and 30 normal esophagus tissues to analyze their relationships with the clinicopathologic parameters of EC. RESULTS: The positive expression rate of iASPP was significantly higher in EC than that in normal esophagus tissues by SP (72.9% vs 16.7%, P<0.01) and by RT-PCR (0.657+/-0.115 vs 0.321+/-0.065, P<0.01). However, The positive expression rate of caspase-9 was significantly lower in EC than that in normal esophagus tissue by SP method (18.8% vs 76.7%, P<0.01) and by RT-PCR (0.297+/-0.058 vs 0.593+/-0.108, P<0.01). The mRNA expression levels of iASPP and caspase-9 in EC were significantly related to the invasive extent, histological differentiation, TNM stages, and lymphatic metastases (P<0.05), but not related to the age, sex, tumor size and pathological type (P>0.05). The expression of iASPP mRNA was negatively correlated with caspase-9 (r=-0.382, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The overexpression of iASPP and the low expression of caspase-9 in EC are closely correlated with tumor invasion and metastasis, and iASPP may promote the progression of EC through inhibiting the expression of caspase-9.