title: CCL18 as an independent favorable prognostic biomarker in patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  CCL18 has been shown to have an important role in the progression of gastric and breast cancers. However, the prognostic value of CCL18 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of CCL18 in CRC patients. We applied both univariate and multivariate analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of CCL18 on CRC patients' survival. We used double staining to investigate the relationship between CCL18 and macrophages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total 371 CRC patient samples were enrolled in immunohistochemical analysis. According to our criteria, 118 samples (31.8%) showed a high CCL18 expression level. Clinicopathologic analysis revealed an association between the expression level of CCL18 and the preoperative carcino embryonic antigen level (P = 0.001), and the preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level (P = 0.003). Survival analysis and multivariate analysis revealed that CCL18 was an independent favorable prognostic factor in patients with CRC (P = 0.033). Double staining implied that CCL18 was expressed by macrophages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high CCL18 level might be an independent biomarker for predicting better survival of patients with CRC.
authors: Gastrointestinal Institute, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, PR China.
authors: Ruixue
authors: R
authors: Yuan
authors: Yufeng
authors: Y
authors: Chen
authors: Xiaosheng
authors: X
authors: He
authors: Xianrui
authors: X
authors: Wu
authors: Jia
authors: J
authors: Ke
authors: Yifeng
authors: Y
authors: Zou
authors: Zerong
authors: Z
authors: Cai
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Zeng
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Jianping
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Xinjuan
authors: X
authors: Fan
authors: Xiaojian
authors: X
authors: Wu
authors: Ping
authors: P
authors: Lan
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C111792:CCL18 protein, human; D019742:Chemokines, CC