title: Role and prognostic significance of CD44s expression in colorectal cancer.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to clarify the role and the predictive strength of the adhesion molecule CD44s (standard isoform) in colorectal carcinogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  CD44s immunohistochemical expression was evaluated in 100 patients with colon adenoma and 100 patients with colon adenocarcinoma and adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa (ANNM). The patients were followed-up for five years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CD44s immunoreactivity was expressed in low-moderate-high-grade dysplasia adenomas and associated with adenocarcinoma (p = 0.01), ANNM (p = 0.05) and pTNM stage (p = 0.00001). Univariate analysis revealed that CD44s expression was associated with overall survival (OS) in carcinomas (p = 0.01) and ANNM (p = 0.05). Bivariate analysis revealed that CD44s was associated with OS in stages I and II patients (p = 0.03). Multivariate analysis revealed that stage (p = 0.0001) and CD44s expression (p = 0.05) were independent predictors of OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CD44s is involved in colon carcinogenesis and is associated with aggressive carcinomas. The immunohistochemical expression of CD44s may reveal cells that have lost their adhesion ability and therefore detect carcinomas with high metastatic power.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Visca
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Del Nonno
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Botti
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marandino
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sebastiani
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Di Tondo
authors.forename: Raffaele Perrone
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Donnorso
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trombetta
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Filippi
authors.forename: Piero Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Alo
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000236:Adenoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D020033:Protein Isoforms