[The expression and its potentially clinical significance of EphA2 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the expression of EphA2, and investigate its correlation with the development, progression, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis and prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC).

METHOD: Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the expression level of EphA2 protein in 61 cases NPC and 20 cases chronic nasopharyngitis samples. The clinically pathological data and results of follow-up were collected. Microvessel density (MVD) was also measured by immunohistochemical staining method with CD34 in NPC.

RESULT: The positive rate of EphA2 protein staining in NPC was 60.66% (37/61), while that in nasopharyngitis samples was 10.0% (2/20). The positive rates of EphA2 protein in NPC were 27.27% (3/11) in stage I, 56.25% (9/16) in stage II, 68.19% (15/22) in stage III, and 83.33% (10/12) in stage IV. The positive expressions of EphA2 in T1 + T2 and T3 + T4 with neck lymph node and distant metastasis were 58.33% (7/12) and 88.89% (16/18) respectively, while those in T1 +T2 and T3 + T4 without metastasis were 31.25% (5/16) and 50.00% (6/12) respectively. The cumulative survival of patients in the EphA2 positive group at 5 years was only 0.324 (12/37), while 0.500 (12/24) in the EphA2 negative group. The positive expression of EphA2 protein was correlated with the clinical stage, the neck lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, and prognosis of NPC, respectively (P < 0.05). MVD in EphA2 protein positive group (45.32 +/- 4.91) was significantly higher than that in EphA2 protein negative group (28.69 +/- 3.99, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

EphA2 may play an important role in the development and progression of NPC. It is closely associated with the invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis and prognosis of NPC.