The immunohistochemical expression of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor splice variant 1 is a favorable prognostic marker in colorectal cancer.
Hypothalamic growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone (GHRH) regulates the release of GH from the pituitary gland. The receptors for GHRH (GHRH-R) are expressed predominantly in the pituitary. Recent evidence demonstrates that splice variants of the GHRH receptor are also expressed in several nonpituitary tissues, both normal and tumoral, as well as in cancer cell lines. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the splice variant 1 (SV-1) of GHRH-R in colorectal cancer (CRC). Seventy patients who underwent partial colectomy for CRC were enrolled in the study. Immunohistochemical expression of SV-1 was studied in paraffin-embedded sections of patient tumor tissue. A cytoplasmic supranuclear expression of SV-1 was observed in CRC as well as in the normal colon mucosa. Tumor grade and pathological stage were negatively correlated with expression of SV-1 (P = 0.012 and P = 0.013, respectively). CRCs metastatic to the liver showed a lower expression of SV-1 than did primary tumors, but this difference was not statistically significant. Kaplan-Meier and Cox univariate survival analyses indicated an improved survival time in patients with high SV-1 compared with those with low GHRH-R expression, but this difference was not statistically significant. The immunohistochemical expression of SV-1 seems to be a favorable prognostic factor in CRC.
Theophanous
Elena
E
Department of Pathology, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Petraki
Constantina
C
Scorilas
Andreas
A
Komborozos
Vassilios
V
Veloudis
George
G
Varga
Jozsef L
JL
Zarandi
Marta
M
Schally
Andrew V
AV
Koutsilieris
Michael
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060466:Axin Protein; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018017:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
C491761:AXIN2 protein, human; D060466:Axin Protein; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; D018017:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone; C048250:somatotropin releasing hormone receptor