Beclin-1 Expression is a Predictor of Clinical Outcome in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Correlated to Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF)-1α Expression

In the present study, we examined the relationship between Beclin-1 expression and HIF-1 alpha expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC). There was a loss of Beclin-1 protein expression in 33% of ESCCs. Beclin-1 expression significantly correlated with depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and clinical stage. Among the 54 patients, The survival rate of the Beclin-1-positive group was better than that of the Beclin-1-negative group. Twenty-five of the 54 (46%) tumor specimens showed high levels of HIF-1 alpha immunoreactivity. Beclin-1 expression was associated with HIF-1 alpha expression. The survival rate of patients with Beclin-1-positive and HIF-1 alpha-low tumors was significantly higher than that of the other groups. These results suggest that Beclin-1 and HIF-1 alpha expression are important determinants of survival in ESCCs.