Epidermal growth factor receptor and B7-H3 expression in esophageal squamous tissues correlate to patient prognosis

Jianxiang Song,1,2,* Woda Shi,1,2,* Yajun Zhang,2 Mingzhong Sun,3 Xiaodong Liang,3,4 Shiying Zheng1 1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 3Department of Clinical Laboratory, 4Department of Pathology, The Third People’s Hospital of Yancheng City, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally tothis work Abstract: Biomarkers that can serve as diagnostic and prognostic indicators of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are urgently needed to help improve patient outcomes. Here, the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and costimulatory molecule B7-H3, both of which have been implicated in tumor onset and progression in certain tumors, was investigated in relation to the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of patients with ESCC. ESCC tissue samples were analyzed for 100 patients. Tumor and patient characteristics were recorded. Tissues were investigated for EGFR and B7-H3 staining by immunohistochemistry. Patients were followed for up to 96 months to determine overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). High expression for EGFR (68.0%) and B7-H3 (66.0%) was observed in the majority of cases. High expression of either EGFR or B7-H3 was correlated with tumor invasion depth and clinical stage (P