Method for diagnosing esophageal cancer

摘要

This invention relates to a composition, kit, or DNA chip for use in diagnosis of esophageal cancer, which comprises a plurality of polynucleotides selected from the group consisting of polynucleotides whose expression levels are varied in esophageal cancer tissues obtained from esophageal cancer patients when compared with cancer-free esophageal tissues obtained from esophageal cancer patients, mutants thereof, and fragments thereof, and to a method for detecting esophageal cancer using the composition, kit, or DNA chip.

主权项

1. A method for determining whether a human subject has an increased likelihood of having esophageal cancer, comprising:
(1) obtaining a test sample of esophageal tissue, or peripheral lymph nodes or another organ suspected of metastasis from esophageal cancer cells, from the subject; (2) selecting a set of the EYA2, SERF1A and IGHG1 genes; (3) assaying the expression level of EYA2, SERF1A, and IGHG1 genes in the test sample obtained from the subject and assaying normal esophageal tissue sample by contacting said samples to a composition, a kit, a DNA chip, or a combination thereof, wherein the composition, kit or DNA chip comprises three polynucleotide probes selected from the group consisting of the following polynucleotides and fragments (a) to (f), and mixtures thereof, wherein the polynucleotides and fragments (a) to (f), and mixtures thereof hybridize to EYA2, SERF1A and IGHG1 genes, thereby obtaining expression levels of EYA2, SERF1A and IGHG1: (a) a polynucleotide consisting of a cDNA sequence derived from the nucleotide sequence of any of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3, or a polynucleotide consisting of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides of the cDNA sequence; (b) a polynucleotide comprising a cDNA sequence derived from the nucleotide sequence of any of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3; (c) a polynucleotide consisting of a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to a cDNA sequence derived from the nucleotide sequence of any of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3, or a polynucleotide consisting of at least 50 contiguous nucleotides complementary to the cDNA sequence; (d) a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence fully complementary to a cDNA sequence derived from the nucleotide sequence of any of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3; (e) a polynucleotide hybridizing, under stringent conditions, to any of polynucleotides (a) to (d) or a fragment thereof comprising at least 50 continuous nucleotides, wherein the stringent conditions comprise hybridization in a solution containing 3-4×SSC and 0.1-0.5% SDS at 30-50° C. for 1-24 hours and then successive washes with a solution containing 3×SSC and 0.1% SDS at 30° C., a solution containing 0.3×SSC and 0.1% SDS at 42° C., and a solution containing 0.1×SSC at 30° C.; and (f) a polynucleotide which is a fragment comprising at least 50 continuous nucleotides of any one of the EYA2, SERF1A, and IGHG1 genes or cDNAs, or a polynucleotide fully complementary to the fragment; (4) detecting hybridization of the set of polynucleotide probes to target nucleic acids in the test sample to thereby detect the expression level of EYA1, SERF1A and IGHG1 genes, and (5) determining that the human subject has an increased likelihood of having esophageal cancer based on a higher expression level of the EYA2, SERF1A and IGHG1 genes in the test sample as compared to the expression level of the EYA2, SERF1A and IGHG1 genes in the normal esophageal tissue sample.