ONCOmmunity

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase-1 Expression Predicts Unfavorable Outcomes in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

By: Yasai Ji, Xiaoli Li, Yaqing Li, Yali Zhong, Jing Cao, Ruiping Xu, Junsheng Wang, Fuyou Zhou, Xiaoran Li, Dandan Yu, Jian-Guo Wen, Mariusz Adam Goscinski, Mingzhi Zhang, Jahn M Nesland, Zhenhe Suo

Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, P.R. China The Institute of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, P.R. China.
2016-1-2; doi:

Abstract

Background

Aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 (ALDH1) has been shown to be a potential cancer stem cell marker in different types of cancer. However, the role of its expression in tumor cells and the microenvironment in different types of cancer is still controversial.

Materials

ALDH1 protein was immunohistochemically investigated and analyzed in 157 samples of surgically dissected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues.

Results

ALDH1 protein expression in ESCC tumor cells was significantly associated with poor differentiation (p<0.05) and strongly positive ALDH1 expression in tumor cells was related with shorter overall survival (p<0.05), while the expression of ALDH1 in ESCC stromal cells had no significant relationship with clinicopathological features (p>0.05).

Conclusion

High expression of cancer stem cell marker ALDH1 in ESCC cells may thus portend a poor prognosis. However, its expression in the tumor microenvironment did not appear to have a role in ESCC behavior. More studies are warranted to find out the mechanisms to explain this.