title: Association between ERCC1 and TS mRNA levels and disease free survival in colorectal cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin and fluorouracil (5-FU) adjuvant chemotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aim was to explore the association of ERCC1 and TS mRNA levels with the disease free survival (DFS) in Chinese colorectal cancer (CRC) patients receiving oxaliplatin and 5-FU based adjuvant chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total 112 Chinese stage II-III CRC patients were respectively treated by four different chemotherapy regimens after curative operation. The TS and ERCC1 mRNA levels in primary tumor were measured by real-time RT-PCR. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used for DFS analysis. The Cox proportional hazards model was used for prognostic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In univariate analysis, the hazard ratio (HR) for the mRNA expression levels of TS and ERCC1 (logTS: HR = 0.820, 95% CI = 0.600 - 1.117, P = 0.210; logERCC1: HR = 1.054, 95% CI = 0.852 - 1.304, P = 0.638) indicated no significant association of DFS with the TS and ERCC1 mRNA levels. In multivariate analyses, tumor stage (IIIc: reference, P = 0.083; IIb: HR = 0.240, 95% CI = 0.080 - 0.724, P = 0.011; IIc: HR < 0.0001, P = 0.977; IIIa: HR = 0.179, 95% CI = 0.012 - 2.593, P = 0.207) was confirmed to be the independent prognostic factor for DFS. Moreover, the Kaplan-Meier DFS curves showed that TS and ERCC1 mRNA levels were not significantly associated with the DFS (TS: P = 0.264; ERCC1: P = 0.484).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mRNA expression of ERCC1 and TS were not applicable to predict the DFS of Chinese stage II-III CRC patients receiving 5-FU and oxaliplatin based adjuvant chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Oncology, Jiangsu Tumor Hospital, NO,42 bai zi ting, Nanjing 210000, China. shengli34t@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Liangjun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Liangxi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003082:Colectomy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase; C071447:ERCC1 protein, human; D004720:Endonucleases; D005472:Fluorouracil