High Expression of Tetraspanin CD63 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Overall survival was significantly worse in the CD63 high group (p = 0.031, log-rank test). Five-year overall survival univariate analysis identified positive lymph nodes, pStage 3 or higher, and CD63 high expression as poor prognostic factors, while multivariate analysis showed that CD63 high expression was an independent poor prognostic factor (p = 0.009, HR 2.56, 95% CI: 1.269-5.167). CD63 knockdown in ESCC cell lines resulted in a phenotype of decreased proliferative potential. CD63 knockdown increased the expression of genes involved in cell adhesion and suppressed the expression of genes involved in granule secretion. CD63 also shown to affect nuclear import, protein complex localization, and ERBB signaling pathways. In conclusion, CD63 affects gene expression in ESCC, and high tissue expression of CD63 predicts poor prognosis in ESCC patients.