title: Cytokeratin7 expression in gastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma: Correlation with prognostic factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma are the second and the fifth most common cancers in Iran, respectively. Expression of cytokeratin 7 (CK7) is established in most malignancies including gastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma. Demonstration of Ck7 could be related to prognostic factors and help to the better management of the patients. The objective of our study was to evaluate the CK7 expression in gastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma and its correlation with other prognostic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was performed on 99 tissue blocks from patients with gastric or colorectal adenocarcinoma undergoing surgery. Tumor grade, tumor size, depth of invasion and metastasis to lymph nodes were determined. Then, the expression of CK7 was studied using immunohistochemistry staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of CK7 was 50% and 33.8% in gastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma, respectively. There was not only a significant correlation between CK7 expression and tumor size (r=0.267, P=0.009) but also histologic grade (r=0.222, P=0.028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CK7 could be more expressed with the increase in tumor size and was associated with poorly differentiated gastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma. However, with these results gathered, it is highly recommended that further studies will be conducted to reveal the exact prognostic role of this factor.
authors.affiliation: Depatment of Pathology, Shahed University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammadreza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jalali-Nadooshan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Sepideh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siadati
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine and Health, Shahed University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davati
authors.affiliation: Depatment of Pathology, Shahed University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Torabi Parizi
authors.affiliation: Shahed University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghasemi
keywords: Colorectal Cancers; Cytokeratin 7; Gastric Cancers; Prognosis.