Background: Bone morphogenetic proteins are a family of cytokines and growth
factors that are involved in tumorigenesis. ZCCHC12 (SIZN1), as a transcriptional coactivator
of bone morphogenetic protein signaling, is identified as a positive regulator
of central nervous system development during embryogenesis. It positively regulates
the CREB and AP1 transcription factors that cooperate with the bone morphogenetic
protein signaling pathway. In the present study, SIZN1 mRNA expression was assessed
in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients.
Methods: The levels of SIZN1 mRNA expression in tumor tissues from 50 patients
with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were compared with their corresponding
normal margins by using real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Results: We observed that 10 out of 50 (20%) cases overexpressed SIZN1, whereas
40 out of 50 (80%) cases showed either normal or under expression of SIZN1. There
was a significant correlation between the levels of SIZN1 mRNA expression and
tumor depth of invasion (P=0.040). Furthermore, a significant correlation between lymph
node metastasis and SIZN1 mRNA expression was observed in esophageal squamous
cell carcinoma patients (P=0.036).
Conclusion: This study is the first report that has assessed SIZN1 expression in
esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. SIZN1 can be a potential therapeutic target
for primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma because of its role in the early stages
of tumor progression and metastasis