title: ILEI: a novel marker for epithelial-mesenchymal transition and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Accumulating evidence over the past decade has shown that abnormal activation of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to tumour progression and metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we investigated the expression of interleukin-like EMT inducer (ILEI) and EMT-associated markers (E-cadherin, vimentin) in CRC tissues and determined the correlations between ILEI expression and clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis and EMT in CRC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 194 patients diagnosed with CRC based on histopathological evaluation and those subjected to surgical resection at the First Hospital of China Medical University between 2003 and 2005 were examined. Immunohistochemical staining for ILEI, vimentin and E-cadherin was performed for each specimen. Cytoplasmic overexpression of ILEI usually accompanied down-regulation of E-cadherin and positive expression of vimentin. Conversely, ILEI was simultaneously down-regulated with overexpression of E-cadherin and negative expression of vimentin. ILEI overexpression was associated significantly with T-stage, N-stage, TNM stage and EMT phenotype (P = 0.024, <0.001, <0.001 and <0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that ILEI expression was an independent prognostic factor for patient survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that cytoplasmic ILEI expression is a potential marker of EMT and tumour progression in CRC. ILEI is an independent predictive factor associated with poor prognosis in CRC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Zhen-Ning
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong-Xi
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jin-Liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jing-Xu
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiao-Wan
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mei-Xian
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Lan
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Hui-Mian
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011379:Prognosis; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D016207:Cytokines; C514209:FAM3C protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D014746:Vimentin
keywords: E-cadherin; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; FAM3C; colorectal cancer; interleukin-like EMT inducer; vimentin