title: Elevated transcript level of hyaluronan synthase1 gene correlates with poor prognosis of human colon cancer.
abstract: Hyaluronan plays important roles in the complex processes of tumor invasion and metastasis. It is now known that three hyaluronan synthase (HAS) isoforms catalyze hyaluronan synthesis, which raises the question of how they are involved in malignant tumor progression. In this study, we examined the correlation between tumor progression and transcriptional levels of three HAS isoforms in specimens of human colon cancers. Tumor tissues from 31 patients with different diagnostic grades were assessed to determine the level of each HAS isoform by real time RT-PCR. The mean expression coefficients for HAS1, HAS2 and HAS3 in the cancerous parts were 0.82-, 0.91- and 1.22-fold, respectively; of those in the noncancerous parts at Dukes' stage A; 1.00-, 0.95- and 1.06-fold, respectively, at stage B; and 1.95-, 1.16- and 1.19-fold, respectively, at stage C. In survival analysis, a significant correlation was observed between poor survival and the HAS1 transcript level. When the ratio of tumor to normal tissue in the HAS1 level was compared with that of the HA receptor transcript level, there was a positive correlation with that of the CD44 variant 6 level at Dukes' stage C. Our current results therefore suggest that HAS1 plays a role in the malignant progression of human colon cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Science of Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan.
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: Kyoei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morozumi
authors.forename: Setsuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirohashi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimata
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000235:genetics; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014166:Transferases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014166:Transferases; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases