Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32884296›Full record

ArticleOncoTargets and therapy2020

Fibroblast Activation Protein-α Expressing Fibroblasts Promote Lymph Node Metastasis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Feng Li, Xia Wu, Zhixiang Sun, Peng Cai, Ligao Wu, Duojie Li

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in OncoTargets and therapy, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Interactions between cancer-associated fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix in oesophageal cancer.Matrix biology : journal of the International Society for Matrix Biology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Feng Li *Department of Radiotherapy, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233000, People's Republic of China.
Xia Wu *Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233000, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0002-8151-8076
Zhixiang Sun *Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233000, People's Republic of China.
Peng CaiDepartment of Radiotherapy, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233000, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0002-5899-3952
Ligao WuDepartment of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233000, People's Republic of China.
Duojie LiDepartment of Radiotherapy, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233000, People's Republic of China.
First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesEsophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains one of the most common malignancies in China and has a high metastasis rate and poor prognosis. Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP-α) is a serine peptidase the expression of which in cancer-associated fibroblasts has been associated with a higher risk of metastases and poor survival. This study aimed to analyze the correlation of FAP-α expression with the lymph node metastasis and prognostic significance in ESCC.

methodsFAP-α expression was examined in 121 resected ESCC specimens and 10 adjacent normal tissue using immunohistochemistry. FAP-α expression was scored in the stromal fibroblasts adjacent to neoplastic nests. A chi-square test was used to analyze the correlation between FAP-α expression in tumors stromal and lymph node metastasis of ESCC. The association between FAP-α expression and prognosis was evaluated using univariable and multivariable statistical modeling.

resultsFAP-α expression was absent in the benign controls. FAP-α expression was evident in the stromal 37% (45/121) of ESCC. Expression of FAP-α level is significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (p=0.023), but it is not correlated to age, gender, and tumor location in ESCC patients. Stromal FAP-α expression was significantly associated with poor survival in univariable (HR 2.009; 95% CI 1.259-3.205; p=0.003) and multivariable analysis (HR 1.833; 95% CI 1.144-2.937; p=0.012).

conclusionFAP-α may be an important regulator in lymph node metastasis of ESCC and may provide a novel therapeutic target in ESCC.

Indexed as

esophageal squamous cell carcinomafibroblast activation protein-αlymph node metastasisoverall survivalprognosis

Identifiers

PMID32884296
PMCPMC7434567
OpenAlexW3048753030

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.