039 6 23 0.001   Low 11 20   23 8   Notch1 p38 MAPK signaling pathway expression               High 8 21 0.002         Low 10 21         Association of NF-κB and Notch1 expression with clinical features of ESCC The association of NF-κB expression with several

clinicopathologic factors is shown in Table 1. NF-κB expression in tumor cells was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (χ 2 = 32.727, P = 0.001), LVD (χ 2 = 4.312, P = 0.038), VEGF-C expression (χ 2 = 4.241, P = 0.039), https://www.selleckchem.com/products/pnd-1186-vs-4718.html podoplanin expression (χ 2 = 8.076, P = 0.004), and Notch1 expression (χ 2 = 9.675, P = 0.002). Similarly, Notch1 expression in tumor cells was significantly correlated with lymph nodes metastasis (χ 2 = 10.162, P = 0.001), LVD (χ 2 = 6.362, P = 0.010), VEGF-C expression (χ 2 = 17.176, P = 0.001), and podoplanin expression (χ 2 = 6.877, P = 0.008).

There were no associations of Notch1 or NF-κB with age, sex, GDC-0994 cell line or TNM stage of tumors. Association of NF-κB and Notch1 with lymph node metastasis in ESCC In order to observe the association of NF-κB and Notch1 expression levels with lymph nodes metastasis in greater detail, we compared the histoscores of NF-κB and Notch1 expression in the context of lymph node involvement (Figure 1). Significantly, our data suggest differences in the patterns of NF-κB and Notch1 signaling with respect to lymph node metastasis status in ESCC, demonstrating strong expression of NF-κB in ESCC tissue, but weak expression of Notch1

with lymph node involvement (P < 0.05 for both). A multivariate analysis of lymph node involvement in ESCC (Table 2) indicated a positive association of NF-κB and VEGF-C expression with lymph node metastasis, independent of T stage, sex, age, and differentiation of tumor cells. Figure 1 Association of NF-κB and Notch1 expression with lymph node metastasis in ESCC. (A) Compared with samples of ESCC without lymph node involvement, the samples of ESCC with lymph node involvement showed high levels of NF-κB expression and low levels of Notch1 expression (magnification, ×200). (B) In ESCC tissue with lymph node involvement, NF-κB staining was strong (mean histoscore, 5.55 ± 0.41) and Notch1 staining was weak (mean histoscore, 3.41 ± 0.36) compared with 17-DMAG (Alvespimycin) HCl tissues without lymph node involvement (mean histoscores, 4.90 ± 0.43 and 4.27 ± 0.27 for NF-κB and Notch1, respectively; P < 0.05 for both). Table 2 Multivariate analysis of lymph node involvement in ESCC (logistic regression model) Variable β HR (95% CI) P NF-κB 1.551 4.716 (1.037-21.454) 0.045 Notch1 -0.273 0.761 (0.459-1.263) 0.291 VEGF-C 0.866 2.377 (1.257-4.494) 0.008 T stage 0.117 1.125 (0.627-2.016) 0.694 Sex -0.157 0.855 (0.160-4.566) 0.854 Age 0.030 1.030 (0.966-1.098) 0.365 Differentiation – 0.126 0.882 (0.284-2.736) 0.828 Abbreviations: HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval of the estimated HR.