[Expression and clinical significance of ZEB2 and E-cadherin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of ZEB2 and E-cadherin mRNA and protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues. METHOD: The expressions of ZEB2 and Ecadherin in 39 cases of NPC tissue and 12 cases of nasopharyngeal inflammation tissue were detected by Real-time PCR method and immunohistochemical technique. To assess their correlations with clinicopathological parameters of NPC and the interrelationship between them. RESULT: Both the expression of ZEB2 mRNA and protein were higher in NPC tissues than that in inflammation tissues (P < 0.05). Abnormal expression of ZEB2 mRNA and protein in NPC were significantly associated to N stage and clinic stage (P < 0.05), but the difference in expression between the different gender, age and T stage were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Both the expression of Ecadherin mRNA and protein were higher in NPC tissues than that in inflammation tissues (P < 0.05). Abnormal expression of Ecadherin mRNA and protein in NPC were significantly associated to N stage (P < 0.05), but the different expression between the different gender, age, T stage and clinic stage were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In NPC tissues, the expression of ZEB2 mRNA was negative correlated with the expression of E-cadherin mRNA (r = -0.367, P < 0.05). The expression of ZEB1 protein was negative correlated with the expression of E-cadherin protein (r = -0.322, P < 0.05), the differences were both statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The expression of ZEB2 was up-regulated in NPC, while the expression of E-cadherin was down-regulated, their expression was significantly negative correlated, and might be associated with metastasis of NPC, ZEB2 may promote the invasion and metastasis of NPC by inhibiting the expression of E-cadherin.