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Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of DcR3 (Decoy receptor 3) protein in human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: Expression status of DcR3 was detected by immunohistochemistry in 112 cases of normal esophageal tissues and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues. Expressions, correlations and clinical significance of DcR3 protein were also analyzed. Results: In oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues,the positive expression of DcR3 protein was 72.3％ and in normal esophageal tissues the postive expression of DcR3 protein was 25.9％. The chi square test suggested that DcR3 protein expression was correlated with clinical stage (P=0.002), lymph node metastasis (P＜0.001), histological differentiation (P=0.01), but was not correlated with age (P=0.673), gender (P=0.378), cigarette smoking (P=0.392), alcohol drinking (P=0.093). Correlation analysis suggested that DcR3 expressions were positively correlated with clinical stage (r=-0.213, P=0.024), lymph node metastasis (r=-0.568, ＜0.001), histological differentiation (r=-0.285, P=0.002). However, DcR3 expressions were not positively correlated with age, gender, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking (P＞0.093). Conclusion: In oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, expressions of DcR3 protein were overexpressed and positively correlated with tumor progression and invasion. DcR3 protein expression may serve as a candidate prognostic biomarker in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]