title: Assessment of K-ras, Smad4 and p53 gene alterations in colorectal metastases and their role in the metastatic process.
abstract: To date there is no genetic marker that gives accurate information on the prognostic impact for patients with colorectal cancer. A particular clone, not detected in the tumor, could be responsible for the metastatic process. To overcome this problem, genetic alterations were analyzed in metastatic tissues from 58 patients who developed metastases after curative surgery for colorectal cancer. K-ras, p53 and Smad4 alterations were observed in respectively 38, 60 and 27% of the metastases. These frequencies are similar to the ones reported in primary colorectal tumors. Thus, these genetic alterations cannot be used as prognostic biomarkers in patients with colorectal cancer. The metastases were stratified into 3 groups, according to the metastatic localization. K-ras mutations were detected in respectively 75, 26 and 11% of the distant, peritoneal and liver metastases. Loss of Smad4 expression was observed more frequently in the liver (62%) than in other metastases (13%). These results suggest that the genetic changes of the tumor cells indicate the location of the metastases and thus, the route of metastatic spread.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Anatomia Patologica, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41100 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Losi
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luppi
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benhattar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics*; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D011379:Prognosis; D051901:Smad4 Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497796:SMAD4 protein, human; D051901:Smad4 Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators