title: The expression of STAT3, BCL-XL and MMP-2 proteins in colon adenocarcinomas and their relationship with prognostic factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Colon adenocarcinomas are the most common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract. Many factors are described in the prognosis. Herein we aimed to determine the relationship between signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression in colon adenocarcinomas and their relationship with prognostic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 45 colon adenocarcinomas (15 well, 15 moderately, 15 poorly differentiated) and 15 normal colon mucosa samples were selected randomly. The STAT3, Bcl-xL and MMP-2 immunohistochemicals were applied to the samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference between the normal mucosa and carcinoma group regarding the STAT3 staining diffuseness and intensity (p < 0.05), but not for Bcl-xL (p > 0.05). The intensity of MMP-2 significantly differed between the normal mucosa and the carcinoma group (p < 0.05). The diffuseness of STAT3 and the intensity of MMP2 showed a significant association with the degree of differentiation (p < 0.05). The intensity and diffuseness of BcL-xL did not show a relationship with the degree of differentiation (p > 0.05). Evaluation of the diffuseness and intensity of the three markers with lymph node metastasis and tumor size revealed that only MMP2 diffuseness had a negative correlation with tumor size (r= -0.318).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed that Bcl-xL does not have a role in the diagnosis of colon adenocarcinomas or the detection of the degree of differentiation, a prognostic factor, but such a relationship was observed for STAT3 and MMP-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Fırat University Hospital, ELAZIĞ, TURKEY.
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Artaş
authors.forename: H Ibrahim
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Ozercan
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D051020:bcl-X Protein; C522361:MMP2 protein, human; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2