title: Downregulation of caspase-10 predicting poor survival after resection of stage II colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of caspase-10 mRNA expression in stage II colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyze caspase-10 expression in cancer tissue and corresponding normal mucosa from 120 patients with stage II colorectal cancer. Variables were analyzed by Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Survival was evaluated with method of Kaplan-Meier. Multivariate analysis was performed with Cox's proportional hazards model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of caspase-10 mRNA was found to be downregulated in cancer tissue compared to normal mucosa (P = 0.001). Poorly differentiated cancer showed lower mRNA expression than cancer with greater differentiation (P = 0.031). Univariate survival curves, estimated using the method of Kaplan-Meier, defined a significant association between caspase-10 expression and both overall survival (P = 0.012) and disease-free survival (P = 0.021). A multivariate analysis, performed by Cox's proportional hazards regression model, confirmed that a low caspase-10 expression was the only significant factor to predict poor prognosis in patients with stage II colorectal cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that caspase-10 expression, measured by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, is a possible prognostic factor in patients with stage II colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Institute of Digestive Surgery and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Gang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Cun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Lie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zong-Guang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D053455:Caspase 10 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012984:Software; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053455:Caspase 10; C506438:CASP10 protein, human