title: Expression and clinical significance of SALL4 and β-catenin in colorectal cancer.
abstract: Previous studies on the expression of Sal-like 4 (SALL4), a zinc finger transcription factor, had conflicting results in colorectal cancer (CRC). The main aim of this study was to investigate the expression of SALL4 and its relationship with β-catenin in CRC. Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine the expression of SALL4 and β-catenin in a cohort of 149 patients with CRC, 12 with atypical hyperplasia, 25 with benign tumor and 38 with normal tissue. Expression patterns of SALL4 and β-catenin and correlation with clinicopathological features were investigated. The relationship between SALL4 and β-catenin was examined by immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation using CRC cell lines, SW480, SW620, HCT116 and HT29. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed significantly lower expression of SALL4 in CRC (46.3 %) than atypical hyperplasia (68.0 %, p < 0.05) and normal tissue (78.9 %, p < 0.01). Well-differentiated CRC seemed to express more SALL4 (47.6 %) than moderately (45.8 %) and poorly-differentiated cancers (18.8 %) (p < 0.05). However, SALL4 expression positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) and Dukes stages (all p < 0.05) suggesting a new mechanism involved in the function of SALL4 in CRC. β-catenin was expressed significantly higher in CRC (69.1 %) than normal tissue (21.1 %, p < 0.01), and positively correlated with CA19-9 level in serum (p < 0.05). SALL4 and β-catenin were positively correlated in CRC (Spearman correlation coefficient R = 0.536, p < 0.01). The group of co-expression of the two molecules showed advanced lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and Dukes stage (all p < 0.05). Double-labeling immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation indicated that SALL4 and β-catenin co-localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm and interacted. Taken together, our results revealed that SALL4 and β-catenin were positively correlated in CRC. In CRC cells, SALL4 and β-catenin co-localized and interacted. The function of SALL4 in promoting lymph node metastasis and advanced clinical stage might partly be due to the interaction with β-catenin.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated with China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Liliang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Linyi People's Hospital, No. 27 Jiefang Road, Lanshan District, Linyi, 276003, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Xintai People's Hospital Affiliated with Taishan Medical College, No. 1329 Xinfu Street, Xintai, 271200, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated with China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Hongzhuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated with China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Street, Shenbei District, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated with China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated with China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Shaolong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated with China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Baosheng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Center, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated with China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Zhijie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated with China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China. suqisjsurgery@163.com.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8562-4394
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C472575:SALL4 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051176:beta Catenin
keywords: Co-localization; Colorectal cancer; Immunohistochemistry; Interaction; SALL4; β-Catenin