| Background: Loss of STAT1 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-1) has been implicated in the
pathobiology of a number of cancer types. Nonetheless, the biological and clinical significance of STAT1 in
esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) has not been comprehensively studied.
Methods: Using immunohistochemistry, we detected the STAT1 expression in a cohort of ESCC patients; In-vitro
experiments, we used enforced gene transfection of STAT1C into two STAT1- weak/negative ESCC cell lines and
siRNA knockdown of STAT1 in two STAT1-strong ESCC cell lines to detect STAT1 function in ESCC.
Results: We found that the expression of STAT1 was heterogeneous in ESCC, with 64 (49.0%) strongly positive
cases, 59 (45.0%) weakly positive cases and 8 (6.1%) negative cases. STAT1 expression inversely correlated with the
depth of tumor invasion and tumor size (p=0.047 and p=0.029, respectively, Chi square). Furthermore, patients with
STAT1-strong/weak tumors had a significantly longer survival compared to those with STAT1-negative tumors (33.6
months versus 13.1 months, p=0.019). In patients carrying tumors of aggressive cytology (n=50), those with STAT1-
strong tumors survived significantly longer than those with STAT1-weak/negative tumors (34.6 months versus 20.5
months, p=0.011). Our in-vitro experiments revealed that STAT1 is proapoptotic and inhibitory to cell-cycle
progression and colony formation. Lastly, we found evidence that STAT1 signaling in ESCC cells down-regulated the
expression and/or activity of NF-κB and STAT3, both of which are known to have oncogenic potential.
Conclusion: To conclude, our findings suggest that STAT1 is a tumor suppressor in ESCC. Loss of STAT1, which is
frequent in ESCC, contributes to the pathogenesis of these tumors. |