Beta-III tubulin expression in esophageal cancer and adjacent morphologically normal tissue

Introduction. Beta-III tubulin (TUBB3), the structural protein of microtubules, is not expressed in normal epithelium, but is frequently present in different epithelial tumors. We suggested that the screening for TUBB3 in morphologically normal tissue outside the tumor may be used for the molecular diagnostics of the local spread of cancer, which is particularly significant in case of the tumors with a high rate of local recurrence, like esophageal cancer.

Objective. The quantitative assessment of TUBB3 expression in tumor and morphologically normal esophageal tissue adjacent and remote from the tumor.

Materials and methods. The expression of TUBB3 in surgical biopsy specimens of tumor and morphologically normal tissue derived from 40patients after radical surgery for esophageal cancer was measured by immunocytometry.

Results. TUBB3 expression was detected in 35 out of 40 studied samples of esophageal cancer, as well as in 10 out of 13 samples of morphologically normal esophagus tissue adjacent to the tumor, and in 25 out of 40samples of esophagus tissue most distant from the tumor near the resection edge. It was shown that the expression of TUBB3 in tissue specimens increases as follows: “normal tissue → adjacent normal tissue → tumor”, which basically means the existence of a positive gradient of TUBB3 expression level and intensity towards the tumor.

Conclusion. The expression of TUBB3, a protein associated with tumor growth, outside the primary tumor may indicate that the tissue appearing to be normal is already affected by the malignancy. It can be used as an additional factor in tumor staging and post-operative patient management.

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