title: CD44 variant exon 6 expressions in colon cancer assessed by quantitative analysis using real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: CD44 is a family of transmembrane glycoproteins that serve as a major receptor for hyaluronate and the splice variants play a very important role in tumor progression and metastasis. We examined the relationship between cancer progression and mRNA levels of CD44 variant exon 6 (CD44v6) in specimens of colon cancer at different diagnostic stages from 31 patients using real time RT-PCR analysis. Increased mRNA levels of CD44v6 were observed in 82% of the specimens in comparison with those in the corresponding non-cancerous tissue specimens. A statistically significant correlation between the CD44v6 expression and the cancerous state was found in most specimens at all Dukes stages. None of the other parameters were related to the expression in the cancerous specimens. Quantitative real time RT-PCR analysis showed that there was no correlation of CD44v6 expression with tumor progression, although CD44v6 is upregulated in transformation. Thus, CD44v6 expression may be a clinically useful indicator of colon cancer.
authors.affiliation: Center for Genetic and Regenerative Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan. yyamada@tsuru.med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Itano
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Narimatsu
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Setsuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirohashi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.forename: Iwai
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tohnai
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimata
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: C112697:CD44v6 antigen; D006023:Glycoproteins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D012333:RNA, Messenger