OBJECTIVETo explore the expression of the family with sequence similarity 135 member B (FAM135B) and K(lysine) acetyltransferase 5 (KAT5) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Uygur patients.

METHODSThe expression of FAM135B and KAT5 in ESCC tissues and paired adjacent tissues from 40 Uygur patients were detected using Roche Benchmark XT. The correlation of FAM135B and KAT5 and their correlation with the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients were analyzed.

RESULTSThe positivity rates of FAM135B and KAT5 in ESCC tissues were 92.50% (37/40) and 15.00%(6/40) in these patients, respectively. The ESCC tissues showed a significantly higher rate of strong FAM135B expression than the adjacent tissues [45.00% (18/40) vs 22.50% (9/40); Χ=4.528, P=0.033], but the rates of negative KAT5 expression was similar between ESCC and adjacent tissues [85.00% (34/40) vs 87.50% (35/40); Χ=0.105, P=0.745]. Strong expressions of FAM135B in ESCC tissues and the paired adjacent tissues were well correlated (Kendall's coefficient = 0.707, P<0.001). In ESCC tissues, a strong expression of FAM135B showed a significant negative correlation with KAT5 expression (Kendall's coefficient=-0.946, P<0.001). Neither FAM135B nor KAT5 expression was associated with the patients' gender, age, tumor site, tumor differentiation, invasion, lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONA strong expression of FAM135B may be an important molecular basis for the occurrence of ESCC in Uygur patients and plays its role by negatively regulating the expression of KAT5.