title: Colonic expression of heme oxygenase-1 is associated with a better long-term survival in patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has emerged as a crucial mediator of mucosal defense in the gastrointestinal tract. Its metabolic pathway products, biliverdin/bilirubin and carbon monoxide, can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, and promote resistance to apoptosis. The role of HO-1 in gastrointestinal malignancies, however, remains to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to analyze HO-1 expression in human colon adenoma and cancer samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five paraffin-embedded surgical specimens of colorectal cancer and 19 colonic adenoma samples were stained immunhistochemically for HO-1 expression using an anti-HO-1 monoclonal antibody. HO-1 expression was evaluated independently by two different investigators and subsequently correlated to clinical data and patients' life expectancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Focal HO-1 expression could be documented in 41.8% (23/55) of patients with colorectal cancer. HO-1 expression in colonic adenoma was detectable in 36.8% (7/19) of cases. The rate of lymphatic tumor invasion was significantly lower in colorectal cancer samples expressing HO-1 (p=0.048). Additionally, fewer lymph node metastases were found in colorectal cancer samples with HO-1 expression, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. Mean observation period was 65.87+/-3.96 months. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significantly better survival for colorectal cancer patients with colonic HO-1 expression (p=0.018).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that colonic HO-1 may be a prognostic marker of colorectal-cancer outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine B, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sekikawa
authors.forename: Tokiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Hidetsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshitake
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pohle
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Domschke
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujimori
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000201:enzymology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1