title: Circulating CD133(+)/ESA(+) cells in colorectal cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumor initiating cells are a small subset of cancer cells responsible for tumor growth and recurrence. The status of tumor initiating cells was measured using the surface markers CD133 (prominin-1) and ESA (epithelial-specific antigen). The aims of this study were to investigate the significance of CD133(+)/ESA(+) cells in mesenteric venous blood (MVB) and tumor mass (TM) for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients undergoing curative resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 229 CRC patients undergoing curative resection were prospectively enrolled in the study. Using CD133 and ESA as surface markers, CD133(+)/ESA(+) cells were enumerated from MVB and TM using flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed the presence of CD133(+)/ESA(+) cells in TM from 158 patients and found no correlation to patient DFS, OS, or clinical stage. In 135 patients, an analysis of CD133(+)/ESA(+) cells in MVB showed an inverse correlation with both DFS and OS (P = 0.014 and P = 0.008, respectively). It exhibited an increase-then-decrease pattern with the peak in stage II patients. A multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that the status of CD133(+)/ESA(+) cells in MVB, but not the TM, was a significant prognostic factor for DFS and OS (P = 0.003 and P = 0.011, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The status of CD133(+)/ESA(+) cells in MVB, but not in TM, could be a useful indicator for predicting tumor recurrence and a prognostic marker for CRC patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Life Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ju-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Yung
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shung-Haur
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jeng-Kou
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Life Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: jkjiang@vghtpe.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Jeng-Kai
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D006023:Glycoproteins; C000606023:PROM1 protein, human; D010455:Peptides
keywords: CD133; Epithelial-specific antigen; Prognosis