The aim of the present study was to characterize the effects of BMI-1 on cell viability, radiosensitivity and its mechanisms of action in oesophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC).
BMI1, TWIST1 and SNAI2/SLUG have been implicated in aggressive behavior of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma and BMI1 expression could identify subtypes of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).
The aim of this study is to investigate the amplification and high expression of Bmi-1 and the associated clinicopathologic characteristics in esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
We investigated the methylation status of 11 candidate cancer-related genes (CDH1, p16(INK4a), p14(ARF), DAPK1, MGMT, RB1, RASSF1, p15(INK4b), PTEN, PRDM2 and p53) in 20 cases of SCC by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, and comparatively examined the protein production of E-cadherin (CDH1), p16, RB1, p14, BMI1 and cyclin A by immunohistochemical analysis.
Two patterns of abnormal PcG expression were observed: increased expression of BMI-1 in dividing neoplastic cells of PLs and SCCs, and enhanced expression of EZH2 and Ki-67 in BMI-1-positive cells according to severity of the histopathologic stage.