Background: The expression status of serum and glucocorticoid-induced protein kinase 3 (SGK3) in superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN) remains unknown.
Aim: To evaluate the SGK3 overexpression rate in ESCN and its influence on the prognosis and outcomes of patients with endoscopic resection.
Methods: A total of 92 patients who had undergone endoscopic resection for ESCN with more than 8 years of follow-up were enrolled. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate SGK3 expression.
Results: SGK3 was overexpressed in 55 (59.8%) patients with ESCN. SGK3 overexpression showed a significant correlation with death (P = 0.031). Overall survival and disease-free survival rates were higher in the normal SGK3 expression group than in the SGK3 overexpression group (P = 0.013 and P = 0.004, respectively). Cox regression analysis models demonstrated that SGK3 overexpression was an independent predictor of poor prognosis in ESCN patients (hazard ratio 4.729; 95% confidence interval: 1.042-21.458).
Conclusion: SGK3 overexpression was detected in the majority of patients with endoscopically resected ESCN and was significantly associated with shortened survival. Thus, it might be a new prognostic factor for ESCN.
Keywords: Endoscopic submucosal dissection; Immunohistochemistry; Overall survival; Serum and glucocorticoid-induced protein kinase; Superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia.
©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.