NM-23 H1 immunohistochemistry is not useful as predictor of metastatic potential of colorectal cancer.
This study aimed to investigate whether immunohistochemical staining for nm23-H1 protein in the primary tumour is correlated with tumour stage, tumour differentiation, DNA ploidy, cell proliferative index, p53 status and patient survival time in colorectal cancer. Full-cross colorectal cancer biopsies were collected from 202 consecutive surgical specimens between 1987 and 1990. Immunohistochemical expression of nm23-H1 protein was investigated in cryosections, using a monoclonal anti-nm23-H1 antibody (clone NM 301). The staining pattern was classified as follows: strong homogeneous intensity, moderate homogeneous intensity, moderate focal intensity, or as negative. Immunohistochemical expression of p53 was investigated using a monoclonal anti-p53 antibody (DO-7). The DNA ploidy and cell proliferative index were determined by flow cytometry. Possible correlation between nm23-H1 staining patterns and the other studied tumour characteristics was explored at the end of 1994. Median survival time of living patients was 66 months, range 50-93 months. No correlation was found between various nm23-H1 staining patterns and tumour stage, cell proliferative index or p53 status. Nm23-H1-negative tumours and tumours with moderate focal staining intensity were less differentiated than tumours with strong homogeneous or moderate homogeneous staining intensity (P < 0.05). Of the nm23-H1-negative tumours, a significantly higher number was near-diploid rather than aneuploid, as compared with those expressing positive nm23-H1 (P < 0.05). The number of dead patients in Dukes' stages B and C did not correlate significantly with the nm23-H1 staining pattern. The nm23-H1 staining pattern alone, or combined with either of the other explored tumour characteristics, did not correlate with patient survival time. Immunohistochemical studies of the nm23-H1 protein expression are of minor value in the staging and prognostic prediction of colorectal cancer.
Department of Medical and Physiological Chemistry, University of Uppsala, Sweden.
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Lindmark
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D011003:Ploidies; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C517938:NME1 protein, human; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins