Prognostic significance of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition factor zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) has been reported to mediate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and disease progression in several cancer types. However, the expression of ZEB2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its association with prognosis remains unclear. In the present study, a tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate ZEB2 and epithelial (E-)cadherin expression in OSCC tissues (n=218) and peritumoral esophageal tissues (POT; n=60). There was a significantly increased incidence of positive ZEB2 expression in OSCC tissues compared with the expression in POTs (P<0.012). By contrast, the incidence of positive E-cadherin expression in OSCC tissues was significantly decreased compared with the expression in POTs (P<0.004). ZEB2 expression in OSCC was associated with a number of clinicopathological factors, and it was also an independent predictive factor for shorter overall survival time (P<0.001). Overall, ZEB2 may promote OSCC metastasis and is a potential prognostic marker for malignancy.