G. Oshiba et al., Stromal thrombospondin-1 expression is correlated with progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, ANTICANC R, 19(5C), 1999, pp. 4375-4378
Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) is an extracellular matrix glycoproteins that affec
ting cell adhesion motility and growth. Based on its effects on tumors, TSP
1 is thought to be a potential regulator of tumor growth and metastasis. In
this study, we clarified TSP1 immunoreactivity in human esophageal squamou
s cell carcinoma and its clinicopathological significance. TSP1 immunoreact
ivity was detected mainly in the cancer stroma and was observed infrequentl
y in cancer cells. According to the TNM classification 70.6% (12/17) of the
T3 esophageal cancels were TSP1-positive, while only 26.9% (7/26) of the T
is and TI cancers showed TSP1 expression. Lymph node metastasis and venous
involvement was frequently found in the TSP1-positive cases (71.4% and 80.0
%, respectively) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (p < 0.001). This ob
servation suggested that TSP1 expression plays an important role in cancer
cell growth and metastasis of human esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, an
d that stromal TSP1 immunoreactivity is a good predictor of venous involvem
ent and lymph node metastasis.