The figure of western blot.

Background: Esophageal cancer (ESCA) accounts for a frequently occurring cancer, which ranks the top among causes inducing cancer-associated morbidity and mortality in Asia. Telomeric Repeat-binding Factor 2 (TERF2) is one of the six components of the telomere-binding protein, which maintains the stability of telomeres together with other components, and is related to the initiation and development of tumors when TERF2 is abnormally expressed. However, the specific functions of TERF2 in ESCA have not been systematically investigated. Methods: RT-PCR, IHC, and western blot (WB) were used to determine TERF2 levels in ESCCsamples. Serum levels of tumor markers were determined using Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay (ECLIA) and Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA). This study utilized bioinformatics databases and tools for analyzing TERF2function within ESCA, and the CCK8 assay was conducted to test its role in the proliferation of ESCC cells. Results: TERF2 protein and mRNA levels increased in ESCC samples, while ectopic expression was associated with age, sex, cancer stage, tumor grade, lymph node metastasis (LNM), and tumor histology. Univariate Cox analysis indicated that TERF2 was an independent prognostic factor associated with OS. TERF2 mRNA levels were related to tumor markerlevels, including CYFRA21-1 and TPA, in ESCC patients, and were negatively related to TERF2 methylation levels. TERF2 is involved in 14% of genetic alterations. Immune infiltration and chemokines related to TERF2 levels within ESCA. TERF2 is involved in various genetic alterations and promotes the proliferation of ESCC cells. Conclusions: TERF2 was highly expressed in ESCA and promoted ESCC cell proliferation. These results suggest that TERF2 may serve as a potential target for developing ESCAtreatments and as a diagnostic biomarker for ESCA.