Survivin expression in colorectal carcinomas: correlations with clinicopathological parameters and survival.
BACKGROUND
Survivin is a new member of the Inhibitor of apoptosis protein family that has a dual function as a mitotic regulator and apoptosis inhibitor. Survivin is prominently expressed in transformed cell lines and in many human cancers, including colorectal carcinoma. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of survivin in colorectal carcinomas and its possible associations with clinicopathological parameters and patient survival.


METHODS
Sections of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from 77 colorectal carcinomas were immunohistochemistry stained for survivin.


RESULTS
Survivin was mainly detected in the bottom of the glands of normal mucosa with mainly cytoplasmic localization. No survivin expression was found in infiltrating lymphocytes, fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells or neural tissue. Survivin staining was detected in 68/77 (88.3%) colorectal carcinomas. Survivin expression was found to be significantly associated with tumor differentiation (P = 0.02) but not with gender, age or Dukes stage. Survival did not differ according to survivin expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Survivin was found in the majority of colorectal carcinomas, suggesting that its expression is an early event in colorectal carcinogenesis. Its expression is statistically significantly associated with tumor differentiation but not with patient survival.
Kalliakmanis
J G
JG
Department of Gastroenterology, ELPIS General Hospital, Athens, Greece. ikalliak@yahoo.gr
Kouvidou
Ch
Ch
Latoufis
C
C
Kouvatseas
G
G
Anagnostakis
D
D
Papatheodoridis
G
G
Koskinas
J
J
Archimandritis
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D001706:Biopsy; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D012307:Risk Factors; D000077022:Survivin
C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; D005557:Formaldehyde