Increased expression of seprase, a membrane-type serine protease, is associated with lymph node metastasis in human colorectal cancer.
Seprase is a membrane-bound serine proteinase with gelatinase activity, which may be involved in cancer invasion and metastasis. We examined seprase expression in colorectal cancer specimens obtained from 109 patients. Seprase immunoreactivity was found in cancer cells and adjacent stromal cells. Immunoblotting showed higher levels of seprase protein in colorectal cancer tissue than in normal colorectal tissue. A semiquantitative assessment of the immunohistochemistry results revealed a significant correlation between seprase expression and lymph node metastasis. These results suggested that an abundant expression of seprase in colorectal cancer tissue is associated with lymph node metastasis.
Iwasa
Satoshi
S
Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-kamicho, Itabashi, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan. siwasa@med.nihon-u.ac.jp
Jin
Xin
X
Okada
Kyoko
K
Mitsumata
Masako
M
Ooi
Akishi
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D002648:Child; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D010450:Endopeptidases; D005260:Female; D018093:Gelatinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099167:Fibroblast Activation Protein Alpha
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010450:Endopeptidases; D018093:Gelatinases; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D000099167:Fibroblast Activation Protein Alpha; C478147:seprase, human