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Pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase (PyNPase) converts 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine to 5′-fluorouracil, which exerts an anticancer effect before being catabolized by dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). Recently, PyNPase has been shown to be identical to a potent angiogenic factor, platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor. We analyzed the concentration of PyNPase and DPD in 33 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in fresh–frozen samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, we evaluated the clinical significance and prognostic value of PyNPase expression in esophageal carcinoma. The PyNPase concentration of tumor tissue was statistically higher than that of normal tissue of the esophagus (248 ± 146 U/mg protein vs 73 ± 63 U/mg protein, P = 0.0001), whereas DPD showed no difference (90 ± 62 U/mg protein vs 88 ± 62 U/mg protein, P = 0.825). The ratio of PyNPase to DPD of tumor tissue was statistically higher than that of normal tissue of the esophagus (3.3 vs 0.95, P = 0.0001). There were no significant differences between the group with high tumor to normal tissue ratios of PyNPase concentration and the low-ratio group in terms of the tumor length, depth, lymph node metastasis, lymph vessel invasion, vascular invasion, stage and survival. In conclusion, 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine may be effective on esophageal carcinoma and PyNPase concentration in esophageal carcinoma may not be a useful prognostic marker for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small cell carcinoma arising in the esophagus is a relatively rare disease. In the more common small cell carcinoma of the lung, the diagnostic significance of several new markers has been recently reported. This study used immunohistochemical techniques in addition to clinicopathological analysis, in order to clarify the utility of newer markers as biological parameters or as diagnostic tools. Six patients with small cell carcinoma of the esophagus were clinicopathologically analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using primary antibodies for bombesin, CD56 and CD57 in addition to conventional endocrine markers chromogranin A, neuron specific enolase and synaptophysin. All patients died within 2 years of surgery due to cancer recurrence, whether or not they had received adjuvant therapy. Pathological stages ranged from IIa to IVb and lymph node metastasis was observed in five cases. Of the six cases, four showed a positive reaction for bombesin and five were positive for CD57. In contrast, no cases revealed a positive reaction for CD56. The one case to survive 24 months after surgery was not shown to express bombesin, CD56 or CD57. Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus demonstrated an unfavorable prognosis. The study suggested that in this disease, bombesin and CD57 (but not CD56) were useful as biological markers, predicting clinical outcome rather than having diagnostic significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]