title: Expression levels of thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, and thymidine phosphorylase in patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Predictors of the response of colorectal cancer to chemotherapy remain poorly understood. We analyzed the mRNA expression levels of enzymes related to sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil derivatives in patients with colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Danenberg tumor profile method (DTP) was used in order to measure mRNA expression levels of thymidylate synthase (TYMS), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD), and thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP) from 180 patients with colorectal cancer. The relations of expression levels with clinicopathological factors and outcomes were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher TYMS expression was associated with greater age, DPYD expression with greater age, poorer differentiation and low invasion, and TYMP expression with poorer differentiation and lack of peritoneal metastasis. DPYD expression positively correlated with TYMP expression. In patients with stage IV disease, high DPYD or TYMP expression was associated with poor outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  mRNA expression of TYMS, DPYD, and TYMP is associated with distinct characteristics and may be useful for predicting survival in patients with stage IV colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterological Surgery, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, 1-30 Fujigaoka, Aoba-ku, Yokohama 227-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinmura
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokomizo
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakuraba
authors.forename: Youhei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shirahata
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Gaku
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kigawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sanada
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hibi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D042943:Dihydrouracil Dehydrogenase (NADP) / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase / Q000235:genetics*; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042943:Dihydrouracil Dehydrogenase (NADP); D013940:Thymidylate Synthase; C543750:TYMP protein, human; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase; D005472:Fluorouracil