Expression of fibronectin in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its role in migration

作者：Jiefei Xiao, Weilin Yang, Bo Xu, Haoshuai Zhu, Jianyong Zou, Chunhua Su, Jian Rong, Tao Wang, Zhenguang Chen · 发表于：BMC Cancer · 年份：2018 · DOI：10.1186/s12885-018-4850-3 · 被引用次数：51 · 研究领域：Cell Adhesion Molecules Research、Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans research、Cellular Mechanics and Interactions

BACKGROUND: Fibronectin (FN) is a high-molecular-weight glycoprotein component of the extracellular matrix involved in cell adhesion, migration, metastasis, proliferation and differentiation, as well as embryogenesis, wound healing, and blood coagulation. Considerable recent research has established that tumor expression of FN is closely associated with tumor formation and development as well as disease prognosis. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship have remained unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate FN protein expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and determine its potential prognostic relevance, while also elucidating the source and function of FN. METHODS: We conducted immunohistochemical analyses of protein expression in primary tumors of ESCC patients and analyzed their association with standard prognostic parameters and clinical outcomes. Expression of FN in two ESCC cell lines (Eca-109 and TE-1) was also examined by RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, and ELISA. ESCC cells were cultured in a microenvironment containing a high FN content, and changes in their morphology and migration ability were assessed by microscopy, wound-healing assays, and Transwell assays. RESULTS: FN expression in ESCC specimens was mainly detected in the tumor stroma, with very little FN detected in tumor cells. Stromal FN content in ESCC specimens was associated with lymphatic metastasis (P = 0.032) and prognosis. In this latter context, patients with hig...