Expression profile and function of secretogranin V, and its effects on the malignant behavior of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is recognized as one of the most aggressive cancers with a poor prognosis. Global expression profiling was conducted on primary ESCC tissues with distant metastases. We investigated the identification of secretogranin V (SCG5) as a promising biomarker for the detection and assessment of ESCC. SCG5 transcription levels were evaluated in 21 ESCC cell lines. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown experiments validated SCG5's roles in cell invasion, proliferation, and migration. We utilized a mouse subcutaneous xenograft model to assess tumor growth. SCG5 expression was measured in 164 ESCC tissues by quantitative reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and its association with clinicopathological parameters was investigated. SCG5 protein levels were assessed in surgically resected tissues from 177 patients with ESCC using a tissue microarray. The mRNA expression levels of SCG5 varied widely in ESCC cell lines. The in vitro cell invasion, proliferation, and migration of ESCC cells were suppressed by the knockdown of SCG5. Mouse xenograft models revealed that tumor growth was reduced by small interfering RNA-mediated SCG5 knockdown. Analysis of clinical samples demonstrated that SCG5 mRNA was expressed in ESCC compared to adjacent normal esophageal tissues. High SCG5 mRNA expression was linked to significant decreases in overall and disease-specific survival. Furthermore, SCG5 protein expression was linked to a decrease in disease-specific survival and disease-free survival. The expression of the SCG5 was significantly associated with disease-specific survival, suggesting that SCG5 may play a significant role as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for ESCC.