title: c-MET expression in colorectal adenomas and primary carcinomas with its corresponding metastases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  c-MET plays an important role in tumor proliferation, invasion and metastasis. In this study we examined the expression of c-MET in colorectal adenomas, primary adenocarcinomas and their corresponding lymph node, peritoneal and liver metastases. We correlated our findings with clinicopathological features.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty three cases of colorectal adenoma and 102 cases of primary colorectal carcinoma and their corresponding metastases (44 lymph nodes, 21 peritoneal deposits and 16 liver metastases) were studied to evaluate c-MET expression by immunohistochemistry. For comparison, 12 sections of adjacent healthy colorectal mucosa were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant differences were present among normal tissues, colorectal adenomas and primary colorectal carcinomas (P=0.011). Normal tissues showed a negative or weak reaction in 66.67% and 33.33% of cases respectively. Expression of c-MET was positive in 47.8% of adenomas. A significant positive association was identified between c-MET high expression and degree of dysplasia (P=0.024). c-MET was highly expressed in 66.7% of primary colorectal carcinoma. Significant positive correlations were detected between c-MET expression and TNM stage (P=0.036), lymph node metastasis (LNM), peritoneal deposits and liver metastasis (P=0.038, P=0.094 and P=0.045, respectively). c-MET expression in metastatic tissues was significantly higher than that of the primary tumor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  c-MET expression is gradually up-regulated in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) from normal epithelium to adenoma to colorectal carcinoma to metastases.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pathology, 2 Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt ; 3 Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mariana Fathy
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Gayyed
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pathology, 2 Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt ; 3 Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nehad M R
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Abd El-Maqsoud
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pathology, 2 Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt ; 3 Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amr Abd
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: El-Hameed El-Heeny
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pathology, 2 Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt ; 3 Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mostafa Fuad
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mohammed
keywords: c-MET; colorectal adenoma; immunohistochemistry; metastasis; primary colorectal carcinoma