The Expression of TOX3 Gene in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer is the sixth cause of cancer mortality worldwide. While it is the sixth prevalent cancer in Iran, its incidence has been decreasing during the past 3 decades. Belonging to the HMG-box protein family, TOX3 (TOX high-mobility group box family member 3) gene is located on 16q12 chromosome. This study aimed to compare the expression of TOX3 gene in cancerous and non-cancerous tissue of esophagus.
In this case-control study, 40 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples of cases of esophageal Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and healthy tisuue were assessed. Samples were collected from patients referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran, during 2005 to 210. Total RNA was extracted and complementary DNA (cDNA) was synthesied. The relative gene expression was determined using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and quantified using 2-ΔΔCT method.
Findings: The expression of TOX3 gene was lower in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues. However, it was not statistically significant (P > 0.1).
Our study revealed that the expression of TOX3 is lower in squamous esophageal cancer. Consequently, by considering all the data about the expression of TOX3 gene from various resources, it could be suggested that the TOX3 gene might act as a tumor suppressor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Therefore, further studies should be done to elucidate the exact mechanism of action of the gene as a tumor suppressor in Squamous cell carcinoma.