Growth hormone receptor expression is up-regulated during tumorigenesis of human colorectal cancer.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to analyze the expression of growth hormone receptor (GHR) in the colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence to determine whether its expression correlates with the various stages of cancer transformation.


METHODS
GHR distribution was assessed by immunohistochemistry and semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in normal, premalignant, and malignant colorectal lesions.


RESULTS
Most of the normal mucous tissues and hyperplastic polyps showed no or weak immunoreactivity for GHR. In contrast, most of the adenoma and adenocarcinoma samples reacted strongly or moderately with monoclonal GHR antibodies. In RT-PCR, amplified fragments of the expected sizes (247bp) were detected in 90 of 90 samples examined, and the semiquantitative RT-PCR result showed an up-regulation of GHR mRNA expression during the polyp-adenoma-carcinoma sequence, which was consistent with the immunohistochemical results.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that growth hormone/GHR plays a role in the development of colorectal carcinoma.
Wu
Xiaoyu
X
Department of Gastrointestinal Tumor Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Liu
Fukun
F
Yao
Xuequan
X
Li
Weisu
W
Chen
Che
C
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018256:Adenomatous Polyps / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; C051815:somatotropin-binding protein