title: A novel aspartate protease gene, ALP56, is related to morphological features of colorectal adenomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The recently identified aspartate protease gene ALP56 is up-regulated in human malignant tumors, including colorectal cancers, but the relationship remain unclear between ALP56 gene expression and clinicopathological findings, as well as when genetic alterations in ALP56 occur during the colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence. We therefore investigated expression of ALP56 mRNA in various human colorectal tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 18 colorectal adenomas 22 cancers, and 24 adjacent normal mucosal samples from patients undergoing conventional resection or endoscopic mucosal resection. Expression of ALP56 mRNA was determined by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Up-regulation of ALP56 gene transcription was observed in both adenomas and cancers compared to normal mucosa. ALP56 expression in exophytic adenomas was significantly greater than in flat adenomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALP56 may contribute to colorectal adenoma formation and to an exophytic growth pattern in these adenomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine and Division of Laboratory Diagnosis, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, South-1 West-16, Chuo-ku, 060-8543, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondoh
authors.forename: Momoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Atsuhito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yagihashi
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meguro
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; C411442:ALP56 enzyme; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; D002402:Cathepsin D