title: [Expression and clinical significance of fibroblast activation protein in colorectal carcinoma tissue].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the expression of fibroblast activation protein(FAP) in colorectal cancer tissue, and to investigate the association between expression of FAP with pathological parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five cancer tissues and 50 normal colorectal samples were examined using immunohistochemistry with anti-FAP polyclonal antibody. The distribution of positive cells in different tissues, and associations of positive cell number with tumor staging, lymph node metastasis and tumor invasion were investigated to evaluate the effects of FAP on pathological progress in colorectal cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No FAP expression was observed in 50 normal colorectal tissue samples. FAP positive cells were seen in carcinoma associated fibroblasts(CAFs), and in few colorectal cancer cells. The numbers of FAP positive cells in tissue samples of TNM III(-IIII((40.1±15.9) was significantly greater than that of TNMI(-II( (18.3±7.7)(P<0.01). Furthermore, the number of FAP positive cells in tissue samples with lymph node metastasis (44.4±13.3) was also significantly higher than those without lymph node metastasis (18.5±8.1)(P<0.01). Significant positive correlations were found between the number of FAP-positive cells with the tumor TNM staging and lymph node metastasis(r=0.544 and r=0.793, respectively)(P<0.01). The number of FAP-positive cells was 25.2±8.9 in T2, 32.41±19.30 in T3, and 29.2±16.5 in T4. The association between number of positive cells and depth of invasion was not statistically significant(P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FAP mainly expresses in CAFs locating in colorectal cancer tissues. The number of FAP positive cells is positively correlated with TNM staging of colorectal cancer and lymph node metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Qi-wen
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Ji-min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010450:Endopeptidases; D005260:Female; D018093:Gelatinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099167:Fibroblast Activation Protein Alpha
chemical_list: D010450:Endopeptidases; D018093:Gelatinases; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D000099167:Fibroblast Activation Protein Alpha