title: Impact of PINCH expression on survival in colorectal cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The adaptor protein PINCH is overexpressed in the stroma of several types of cancer, and is an independent prognostic marker in colorectal cancer. In this study we further investigate the relationship of PINCH and survival regarding the response to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 251 primary adenocarcinomas, 149 samples of adjacent normal mucosa, 57 samples of distant normal mucosa and 75 lymph node metastases were used for immunohistochemical staining. Stromal staining for PINCH increased from normal mucosa to primary tumour to metastasis. Strong staining in adjacent normal mucosa was related to worse survival independently of sex, age, tumour location, differentiation and stage (p = 0.044, HR, 1.60, 95% CI, 1.01-2.52). PINCH staining at the invasive margin tended to be related to survival (p = 0.051). In poorly differentiated tumours PINCH staining at the invasive margin was related to survival independently of sex, age and stage (p = 0.013, HR, 1.90, 95% CI, 1.14-3.16), while in better differentiated tumours it was not. In patients with weak staining, adjuvant chemotherapy was related to survival (p = 0.010, 0.013 and 0.013 in entire tumour area, invasive margin and inner tumour area, respectively), but not in patients with strong staining. However, in the multivariate analysis no such relationship was seen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PINCH staining in normal adjacent mucosa was related to survival. Further, PINCH staining at the tumour invasive margin was related to survival in poorly differentiated tumours but not in better differentiated tumours, indicating that the impact of PINCH on prognosis was dependent on differentiation status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jasmine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lööf
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosell
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bratthäll
authors.forename: Siv
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doré
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Starkhammar
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; C088088:LIMS1 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins