Increased B7-H4 expression during esophageal squamous cell carcinogenesis is associated with IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway activation in mice

B7-homolog 4 (B7-H4), one of the costimulatory molecules of the B7 family, has been reported to be widely expressed in multiple types of cancer tissues, and to be important in tumor progression and poor prognosis. However, the role of B7-H4 in esophageal precancerous lesions has not been elucidated yet. In the present study, a model of esophageal squamous cell carcinogenesis was established in 208 C57BL/6 mice by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) drinking water of mice, and the changes in the expression of B7-H4 during the whole pathological process were investigated. Hematoxylin and eosin staining results demonstrated that the pathological stage was exacerbated with the increase in time of 4NQO-mediated carcinogenesis induction, and the pathological features were similar to those observed in humans. Immunohistochemistry results revealed that B7-H4 expression was upregulated and positively correlated with pathological stage (P