title: Growth hormone receptor overexpression predicts response of rectal cancers to pre-operative radiotherapy.
abstract: In this study, we evaluated the possible role of Growth Hormone Receptor (GHR) expression pattern in determining rectal cancer radiosensitivity. We examined GHR expression in pre-treatment biopsy materials and post-operative specimens from 98 patients by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). GHR expression was evaluated for association with tumour radiosensitivity, which was defined according to Rectal Cancer Regression Grade (RCRG). IHC results demonstrated that GHR overexpression was significantly associated with a poor response to radiotherapy (P < 0.001, r(s) = 0.399); RT-PCR detection of GHR expression on pre-radiation biopsy specimens also showed that GHR mRNA negative group had a higher radiation sensitivity (P < 0.001, r(s) = 0.398). Compared with the pre-radiation biopsy specimens, the paired post-operative specimens showed a significantly up-regulated GHR expression in the reliquus cancer cells (P < 0.001). In conclusion, GHR expression levels may be an indicator for rectal cancer radiosensitivity before pre-operative irradiation. The administration of GHR antagonist may have the potential to increase rectal cancer radiosensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Nanjing University School of Medicine, Department of General Surgery of Jinling Hospital, 305 Zhong-shan-dong Road, Nanjing 210002, JS, PR China. wuxiaoyu@medmail.com.cn
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Meifang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Che
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fukun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jieshou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin