TNM staging and T-cell receptor gamma expression in colon adenocarcinoma. Correlation with disease progression?
OBJECTIVE
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in Europe and the United States. Several studies have evaluated the immune response to colorectal cancer, with contradictory results. Some studies showed that lymphocyte infiltration in colorectal cancer seemed to be an important prognostic parameter, a finding not confirmed by other studies. Several studies showed the gamma-delta T-cell receptor repertoire of intestinal adenocarcinoma. In this study, we hypothesize that the presence of T cells with the T-cell receptor gamma complex may play a particular role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression.


METHODS
A total of 58 patients with colon adenocarcinoma was included in the analysis. We used the TNM staging system to grade colon cancer.


RESULTS
Thirty samples (52.6%) revealed a polyclonal rearrangement of T-cell receptor gamma. In the NO cases, only 5 samples revealed a T-cell receptor gamma molecular assessment; in N1/N2 cases, 25 revealed a T-cell receptor gamma molecular assessment.


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed statistical significance between the presence of T-cell receptor gamma and N1/N2 stage lymph nodes (P = 0.001).
Castiglione
Francesca
F
Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, University of Florence, School of Medicine, Florence, Italy. francesca.castiglione@unifi.it
Taddei
Antonio
A
Buccoliero
Anna Maria
AM
Garbini
Francesca
F
Gheri
Chiara Francesca
CF
Freschi
Giancarlo
G
Bechi
Paolo
P
Rossi Degl'Innocenti
Duccio
D
Taddei
Gian Luigi
GL
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015334:Gene Rearrangement, gamma-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta