OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of RhoC and osteopontin (OPN) protein in esophageal squamous carcinoma (ESC) and their association with the biological behavior of ESC.

METHODSThe expressions of RhoC and OPN protein were detected in 80 ESC cases by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe positive expression rate of RhoC was 66.25% in these ESC cases. The rate was significantly higher in cases with lymph node metastasis than in those without (r(s)=-2.115, P<0.05), but RhoC expression was not associated with the tumor diameter, differentiation or TNM grade (P>0.05). The RhoC-positive patients had significantly shorter survival time than the negative patients (P<0.001). All the 80 ESC patients were positive for OPN expression, and OPN expression levels were correlated with the differentiation (chi(2)=10.766, P<0.05) and lymph node metastasis of the tumor (r(s)=-2.289, P<0.05), but not with the tumor diameter or TNM grade (P>0.05). Higher expression level of OPN was closely related to shorter survival time of the patients (P<0.05). A positive correlation was found between RhoC protein and OPN expressions (r(s)= 0.408, P<0.001) in these cases.

CONCLUSIONThe expressions of RhoC and OPN protein are closely related to lymph node metastasis of ESC and the patients survival time, and therefore may serve the purpose of prognostic evaluation of ESC.