Expression and significance of GRHL2 in esophageal cancer

Figures & data

Figure 1 Expression of GRHL2, HIF-1α, and VEGF in esophageal cancer tissues. (A, D, and G) Negative expression of GRHL2, HIF-1α, and VEGF. (B, E, and H) Weak positive expression of the three proteins. (C, F, and I) Positive expression of the three proteins. The scale bars are 100 μm and the magnification is ×200.

Abbreviations: GRHL2, grainyhead-like 2; HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.

Table 1 Expression of GRHL2, HIF-1α, and VEGF in EC tissue and the corresponding adjacent normal tissues

Variables	GRHL2		P-value	HIF-1α		P-value	VEGF		P-value
	Low	High		Low	High		Low	High
EC tissue	47	16	<0.01	28	35	<0.01	53	10	<0.01
Adjacent normal tissues	61	2		3	60		63	0

Abbreviations: GRHL2, grainyhead-like 2; HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; EC, esophageal cancer.

Figure 2 Correlation between GRHL2, HIF-1α, and VEGF and MVD. (A) Expression of CD34 analyzed by immunohistochemical analysis. (B) Relative level of MVD in low and high GRHL2 expression groups. (C) Relative level of MVD in low and high HIF-1α expression groups. (D) Relative level of MVD in low and high VEGF expression groups. *P<0.05, compared with adjacent tissues. (A) Magnification left image: ×100; right image: ×200.

Abbreviations: GRHL2, grainyhead-like 2; HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; MVD, microvessel density.

Table 2 Correlation between the clinicopathological features and the expression of GRHL2, HIF-1α, and VEGF in EC

Variables	GRHL2 staining		P-value	HIF-1α staining		P-value	VEGF staining		P-value
	Low	High		Low	High		Low	High
Age (years)			0.299			0.292			0.508
≤50	4	0		1	3		3	1
>50	43	16		27	32		50	9
Gender			0.526			0.176			0.430
Male	25	8		12	21		27	6
Female	22	8		16	14		26	4
Tumor size (cm)			0.430			0.444			0.337
≤5	38	12		21	29		43	7
>5	9	4		7	6		10	3
Invasion depth			<0.001			0.588			0.387
T1	3	4		1	3		4	0
T2	16	11		8	12		18	2
T3	28	1		19	20		31	8
TNM stage			0.622			0.365			0.025
I	10	5		13	7		17	0
II	20	7		11	16		22	5
III	17	4		4	12		14	5
Lymph node			0.003			0.498			0.430
Negative	17	13		12	18		26	4
Positive	30	3		16	17		27	6
Tumor differentiation			0.047			0.005			<0.001
Well	7	7		12	2		14	0
Moderate	25	7		14	18		31	1
Poor	15	2		2	15		8	9

Abbreviations: GRHL2, grainyhead-like 2; HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; EC, esophageal cancer.

Figure 3 Kaplan–Meier survival analysis of GRHL2 and HIF-1α expression in esophageal cancer tissues. Low GRHL2 and high HIF-1α expression was correlated with (A) inferior recurrence-free survival and (B) overall survival in esophageal cancer patients.

Abbreviations: GRHL2, grainyhead-like 2; HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α.

Table 3 Correlation between GRHL2, HIF-1α, and VEGF in EC

Variables	HIF-1α staining		P-value	VEGF staining		P-value
	Low	High		Low	High
GRHL2 staining			0.04			0.106
Low	17	30		42	5
High	11	5		11	5

Abbreviations: GRHL2, grainyhead-like 2; HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; EC, esophageal cancer.