Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and CD44 variant exon 6 in primary tumors and corresponding lymph node metastases of colorectal carcinoma with Dukes' stage C or D.
OBJECTIVE
To study changes in characteristics of colorectal carcinoma during the metastatic process and to investigate the correlation between cell proliferation activity and metastatic ability of patients with Dukes' stage C or D.


METHODS
Formalin fixed and paraffin embedded materials of primary tumors and corresponding lymph node metastases resected from 56 patients with Dukes' stage C or D of colorectal carcinoma were stained immunohistochemically with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and CD44 variant exon 6 (CD44v6).


RESULTS
Thirty-one of 56 patients (55.4 %) expressed PCNA in the primary sites and 36 of 56 patients (64.3 %) expressed PCNA in the metastatic lymph nodes. A significant relation in PCNA expression was observed between the primary site and the metastatic lymph node (0.010<P<0.025). Forty-one of 56 patients (73.2 %) expressed CD44v6 in the primary site and 39 of 56 patients (69.6 %) expressed CD44v6 in the metastatic lymph node. There was also an significant relationship of CD44v6 between the primary site and the metastatic lymph node (0.005<P<0.010). No difference was observed between expression of CD44v6 and PCNA in the primary site (0.250<P<0.500).


CONCLUSIONS
This study partially demonstrates that tumor cells in metastatic lymph node of colorectal carcinoma still possess cell proliferation activity and metastatic ability of tumor cells in primary site. There may be no association between cell proliferation activity and metastatic ability in colorectal carcinoma.
Zhang
Ji-Cheng
JC
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, Shannxi Province, China.
Wang
Zuo-Ren
ZR
Cheng
Yan-Juan
YJ
Yang
Ding-Zhong
DZ
Shi
Jing-Sen
JS
Liang
Ai-Lin
AL
Liu
Ning-Na
NN
Wang
Xiao-Min
XM
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D002455:Cell Division; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C112697:CD44v6 antigen; D006023:Glycoproteins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen