[mRNA expression of RASSF1A in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and clinical significance thereof].

Objective: To investigate the mRNA expression of the new tumor suppressor gene, RASSF1A, in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its biological value.

Methods: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of RASSF1A in the tumor tissues, tissues near tumor, and normal tissues, all obtained during operation, from 66 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Results: The deletion rates of RASSF1A mRNA expression were 42.4% (28/66), 15.2% (10/66), and 0 in the tumor tissues, tissues near tumor, and normal tissues respectively. The deletion rates of RASSF1A mRNA expression in patients with lymph node metastasis was 61.1%, significantly higher than that of the patients without lymph node metastasis (20.0%, chi(2) = 11.323, P < 0.01); The deletion rates of RASSF1A mRNA expression in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at the advanced stages (stages III - IV) was 61.5%, significantly higher than that in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at the early stages (stages I - II, 30.0%, chi(2) = 6.417, P < 0.01). The deletion rages of RASSF1A mRNA in the highly, moderately, and lowly differentiation tumors were 38.5% (10/26), 38.5% (10/26), and 57.1% (8/14) respectively, However, there was no significant association between the differentiation degree of tumor and the grade the deletion rages of RASSF1A mRNA (chi(2) = 1.576, P = 0.455).

Conclusion: The deletion of the mRNA expression of RASSF1A, a tumor suppressor gene, may play an important role in the tumorigenesis and influences the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.