title: [Significance of cytokeratin gene (CK-20 mRNA) expression in metastatic lymph nodes in colon carcinoma patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the significance of detecting cytokeratin gene (CK-20 mRNA) expression in metastatic lymph nodes of colon carcinoma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of CK-20 mRNA was detected in 342 lymph nodes by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 49 colon carcinoma patients. Its incidence was compared with that by routine pathologic examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rates of detecting metastasis in the lymph nodes were 21.9% by RT-PCR and 11.1% by routine pathologic examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The detection of cancer metastasis in the lymph nodes in colon carcinoma is almost doubled (21.9% vs 11.1%) by CK-20 mRNA, which may provide a guiding significance in staging, treatment planning and prognosis in the prognostic estimation of colon carcinoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Taian Central Hospital, Taian 271000, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Zhongmin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tingwu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D053554:Keratin-20; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C507499:KRT20 protein, human; D053554:Keratin-20; D012333:RNA, Messenger