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Updated: Oct 23, 2025
Development of Compendium for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: April 12, 2024
Quantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis of biomarker combinations for human esophageal squamous cell
Jiebing Gao1,2, Xinglin Li2,3, Dan Li2,3
1Department of Radiology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China.
Background:
Esophageal squamous carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common cancers in developing countries. However, currently there are no specific biomarkers for ESCC. This study evaluated the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), tumor suppressor protein p53, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as biomarkers for ESCC.
Methods:
This study included 60 clinical cases (30 ESCC and 30 non-ESCC cases that were confirmed pathologically). The expression of PCNA, p53, EGFR, and VEGF were investigated using a quantitative computerized immunohistochemistry (IHC) method. The expression level of each protein was indicated by a H-score from the quantitative analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and area under curve (AUC) analyses were performed. The sensitivity and specificity of each individual protein and combinations of the proteins were calculated.
Results:
The H-score analysis indicated that expressions of EGFR, PCNA, and VEGF were statistically significantly higher in ESCC than non-ESCC patients; however, p53 was not. The panels of combinations of these proteins were more sensitive than that of any single protein. In the triplicate combination, the AUC prediction probability increased to 0.86, while the single protein AUC prediction probabilities were 0.74 (EGFR), 0.80 (PCNA), and 0.70 (VEGF).
Conclusions:
The high expression of PCNA, EGFR, and VEGF suggests that they are potential biomarkers for ESCC. The combination of these biomarkers may provide targets for molecular therapy and molecular imaging.
