title: Syncytin immunoreactivity in colorectal cancer: potential prognostic impact.
abstract: The endogenous retroviral envelope protein syncytin is involved in cell fusions and has also been associated with immunomodulatory functions. Syncytin is currently known to be expressed in the placenta, testis and brain as well as in breast and endometrial carcinomas. Using a newly developed monoclonal syncytin antibody we have assessed syncytin expression in a retrospective series of 140 colorectal cancer patients. Variable degrees of syncytin expression were detected in both colonic and rectal tumors and the prognostic impact of such expression was analysed with the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazard model. Interestingly, increased syncytin expression was associated with decreased overall survival in rectal but not in colonic cancer patients. Thus, the prognostic impact of syncytin expression appears to vary with the tumor type.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell Biology, IBHV, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Gronnegaardsvej 7, DK 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Julie Mou
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Ib Jarle
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Hans Jørgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Bolette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bjerregaard
authors.forename: Jan Fredrik
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Talts
authors.forename: Lars-Inge
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Larsson