The expression of NETO2 and RGS16 in esophageal cancer tissue and their relationship with clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis

Liu Zongzhi; Niu Lei; Huo Chengyu; Zhang Yanjiao; Han Wenqiang

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1671-6450.2025.05.002

Abstract：Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of salivary like protein 2(NETO2),G protein signal regulator 16(RGS16)in esophageal cancer and clinical pathological features and prognosis.Methods One hundred and ten patients with esophageal cancer treated with Cardiothoracic Surgery at Beijing Civil Aviation General Hospi-tal(Peking University School of Civil Aviation Clinical Medicine)from June 2018 to May 2021 were collected.Immuno-histochemistry and qPCR were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of NETO2 and RGS16 in tissues.The prog-nostic evaluation value of NETO2 and RGS16 mRNA in esophageal cancer was analyzed using receiver operating character-istic curves.Kaplan Meier curves and COX regression analysis were used to analyze the impact of NETO2 and RGS16 mRNA on the prognosis of esophageal cancer.Results The positive rates of NETO2 and RGS16 in esophageal cancer tis-sues were 83.64％(92/110)and 85.45％(94/110),respectively,which were higher than those in adjacent tissues by 10.91％(12/110)and 9.09％(10/110)(x2=238.030,262.428,all P＜0.001).The expression levels of NETO2 and RGS16 mRNA in esophageal cancer tissues were higher than those in adjacent tissues,and the differences were statistically signifi-cant(t=238.030、262.428,all P＜0.001).The positivity rates of NETO2 mRNA and RGS16 mRNA in TNM stage Ⅲ esopha-geal cancer tissues were higher than those in TNM stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ cancer tissues,and the differences were statistically signifi-cant(t/P=8.784/＜0.001,12.226/＜0.001).The AUC values of NETO2,RGS16,and their combination in predicting the prognosis of esophageal cancer patients were 0.849,0.825,and 0.911,respectively.The combination of NETO2 and RGS16 showed better predictive efficacy than their individual predictions(and the differences were compared using the DeLong method)(Z=4.115,4.672,all P＜0.001).The 3-year survival rate of esophageal cancer patients with high expression of NETO2 was 38.46％(20/52),lower than 75.86％(44/58)of patients with negative expression,and the difference was statis-tically significant(Log Rank x2=18.760,P＜0.001).The 3-year survival rates of esophageal cancer patients with RGS16 positivity were 44.00％(22/50),lower than 70.00％(42/60)of patients with negative expression,and the difference was statistically significant(Log Rank x2=9.982,P=0.002).TNM stage Ⅲ and NETO2/RGS16 positivity were factors affecting the prognosis of esophageal cancer patients[HR(95％CI)=1.730(1.434-2.099),1.898(1.331-2.707),2.060(1.921-2279)].Conclusion The expression of NETO2 and RGS16 is elevated in esophageal cancer,both of which are associated with TNM staging and serve as new prognostic markers for esophageal cancer.