Prognostic implication of nm23-H1 expression in colorectal carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
Expression of nm23 has been identified as a potential metastatic suppressor. In this study, nm23-H1 expression, clinicopathological parameters and influences on clinical outcomes were investigated in colorectal carcinoma patients.


METHODS
Immunostaining was performed on 185 colorectal carcinomas using a polyclonal anti-nm23-H1 antibody.


RESULTS
The nm23-H1 immunoreactivity was weak in 31 (17%), moderate in 48 (26%) and strong in 106 (57%) cases. The well differentiated adenocarcinomas showed significantly strong staining for nm23-H1 compared with the moderately and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas (chi2 test, P<0.001). Advanced tumour stages were associated with reduced nm23-H1 expression (P<0.001). There was an inverse correlation with angiolymphatic invasion, nodal metastasis and liver metastasis (univariate logistic regression analysis, P<0.001). In univariate analysis, patients with reduced expression of nm23-H1 had significantly shorter overall and disease-free survival than the strong expression group (log-rank test for trend, P=0.002 and P=0.003, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicated that reduced nm23-H1 expression showed poor prognosis in colorectal carcinomas. As a result, nm23-H1 expression might be a useful marker to predict outcome while planning treatment.
Dursun
Ayşe
A
Pathology Department, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. drakyurek@hotmail.com
Akyürek
Nalan
N
Günel
Nazan
N
Yamaç
Deniz
D
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D014157:Transcription Factors; C517938:NME1 protein, human; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins