OBJECTIVETo explore the prognostic significance of expression of survivin and caspase-3 in esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) and the relasionship with expression of heat shock proteins 27 and 70 (HSP27 and HSP70).

METHODSExpressions of survivin and caspase-3 in 101 cases of ESCC were quantitatively detected with flow cytometry. Their expressions in long-term survival group (group A, >or= 5 years, 38 cases) were compared with those in the short-term survival group (group B,

RESULTSThe mean fluorescence intensity (mFI) of survivin in group B was 6.79 +/- 2.11, which was significantly higher than that (5.00 +/- 0.77) in group A (P < 0.01). The mFI of caspase-3 in the two groups were similar (5.12 +/- 0.67 vs. 5.07 +/- 0.77, P > 0.05). The positive expression rate of survivin in group A was significantly lower than that in group B (31.6% vs 54.0%, P = 0.029). Compared with that in short-term survival group, the strong positive expression rate of caspase-3 in long-term survival group was significantly higher (47.6% vs. 68.4%, P = 0.042). Positive expression rate of caspase-3 showed decreasing tendency with increase in age. No significant differences in clinicopathologic features in relation to expression rate of caspase-3 other than tumor length. No correlation was observed between expression intensity of survivin and any clinicopathologic features. Logistic regression analysis indicated that survivin and caspase-3 expressions were of independent prognostic significance for ESCC. There was no association between survivin and caspase-3 expression and expression of HSP27 and HSP70.

CONCLUSIONThe expressions of survivin and caspase-3 are two independent prognostic factors in ESCC. They do not correlate with HSP27 and HSP70 expression.