OBJECTIVE

To observe the relationship between expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha and chemotherapy response and clinical outcome.

METHODS

Platixal in combination with cisplatin was used in 48 patients with ESCC at advanced stage. platixal 175 mg/m(2), d1; cisplatin 80 mg/m(2), d 2, d 3, d 4, 21 days was one cycle. Chemotherapy response was evaluated. Specimens mentioned above comes from pathology department, the first affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou university. Immuno-histochemistry was used to examine the expression of HIF-1alpha protein in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. 20 cases normal tissue of esophago was used as control group. chi(2) test and Kaplan-Merier was used to analysis data.

RESULTS

HIF-1alpha immunoreactivity was recognized in both cytoplasm and nuclei. HIF-1alpha protein positive expression rate was 43.75% (21/48) in tumor samples, and was negative expression in normal tissue. Among 21 cases with positive expression of HIF-1alpha, there was none complete response case and 5 cases of partial responses, and the response rate was 23.81%; whereas in 27 cases with negative expression of HIF-1alpha, there were 8 cases of complete response and 11 cases of partial responses, and the response rate was 70.37%. There was significant difference between two groups (P < 0.05). In patients of HIF-1alpha positive expression, the median time to tumor progression was 2.0 months, and the median actuarial survival was 6 months, and survival rate was 13.3% in two years; Whereas in patients of HIF-1alpha negative expression, the median time to tumor progression was 5.0 months, and the median actuarial survival was 11.0 months, and survival rate was 42.2% in two years. There was significant difference between two groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

HIF-1alpha protein expression by immunohistochemistry may be a useful indicator to prediction the chemotherapy response and clinical outcome for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.