High p53 and MAP1 light chain 3A co-expression predicts poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell...

p53 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3A (LC3A) are regulators of apoptosis and autophagy and are expressed at high levels in a number of human tumors. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of p53 and LC3A expression levels in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs). p53 and LC3A expression levels were measured by immunohistochemistry in 114 patients with stage II/III (Tany N+M0 or T3,4 Nany M0) ESCCs treated with surgery followed by adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The overexpression of p53 and LC3A was observed in 57 and 54% of ESCC samples, respectively. p53 staining was nuclear and LC3A was localized to the cytoplasm of tumor cells. p53 overexpression was more frequently observed in ESCCs with positive lymph nodes (P=0.017). Patients with ESCCs overexpressing p53 and LC3A were associated with a lower 5‑year overall survival rate than those with low p53 and LC3A expression (18.0 vs. 54.4%; P=0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the overexpression of p53 or LC3A was not associated with poor patient outcome (P>0.05). However, patients with high levels of p53 and LC3A co-expression had poor clinical prognoses (P=0.027). Thus, p53 and LC3A co-expression is an independent prognostic marker for patients with ESCC.