Positive Transforming Growth Factor-β Activated Kinase-1 Expression Has an Unfavorable Impact on Survival in T3N1-3M0 Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Background Transforming growth factor-β activated kinase-1 (TAK1) is a serine/threonine kinase in the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase family. Previous studies have reported the role of TAK1 in cancer occurrence and progression; however, its role and clinical significance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been elucidated. We investigated the correlation of TAK1 expression and clinical outcome in T3N1-3M0 surgically resected ESCCs. Methods Tissue microarrays constructed of 234 surgically resected T3N1-3M0 ESCC primary tumors were used for TAK1 evaluation by immunohistochemistry. The clinical and prognostic significance of TAK1 expression was analyzed statistically. Results Positive expression of TAK1 was observed in 38.5% (90 of 234). The expression level of TAK1 in ESCCs at stage N2-3 was significantly higher than the expression level in those at stage N1 ( p = 0.041). Patients with negative TAK1 expression demonstrated better overall survival than those with positive expression (median, 22.7 vs 17.4 months; p = 0.023). Multivariate analysis showed that TAK1 expression was an independent prognostic factor in ESCC (relative risk, 1.429; p = 0.021). Conclusions TAK1 expression correlates with lymph node metastasis and is a negative, independent prognostic factor in resected T3N1-3M0 ESCCs.