Stromal expression of carbonic anhydrase IX in esophageal cancer.

Purpose: Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX), a transmembrane glycoprotein, is known as an endogenous marker for hypoxia. Overexpressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts, CA IX has been reported to be associated with a poor outcome for a number of malignant tumors. Aim of this study was to investigate the role of CA IX in the tumor surrounding stroma of esophageal cancer.

Lymphangiogenesis and lymphovascular invasion diminishes prognosis in esophageal cancer.

Background: Tumor-associated lymphatic networks are the primary routes for tumor cell dissemination and metastasis. Behind the background of possible lymphangiogenesis-associated therapies, the clinical impact of lymphangiogenesis (measured by lymphatic microvessel density [LMVD]) and specific lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in esophageal cancer remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical role of lymphangiogenesis and LVI in a large cohort of esophageal cancer.

Podoplanin expressing cancer associated fibroblasts are associated with unfavourable prognosis in adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

Overexpression of the mucin-type sialoglycoprotein podoplanin in cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) was recently shown to be associated with tumor progression, metastasis and poor prognosis in lung and breast cancer. Here we investigate the role of podoplanin expressing CAFs in esophagal adenocarcinoma (AC), its precursor lesions and metastases. Podoplanin expression was investigated immunohistochemically in 200 formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded specimens of invasive esophagal ACs, their corresponding metastases and 35 precursor lesions.

Expression of podoplanin is a rare event in sporadic gastrointestinal stromal tumors and does not influence prognosis.

Aims: Podoplanin overexpression is associated with worse prognosis in several human cancers. In gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) very few data on the expression of podoplanin exist, but it seems to be frequently overexpressed in pediatric/syndromic GISTs. We investigated podoplanin expression and its clinical relevance in a large series of sporadic GISTs.

Phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) correlates with Her-2 status, carbonic anhydrase 9 expression and prognosis in esophageal cancer.

The signal-transcriptional factor signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3) is overexpressed in various tumor entities and promotes tumor progression and metastasis. The tyrosine-kinase receptor Her-2 was shown to activate STAT3-expression and is overexpressed in a subtype of esophageal cancer (EC). STAT3 also regulates carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) expression in vivo, promoting IL-6-dependent tumor invasion.