Increased Calcineurin A Expression Is Associated with a Lower Relapse-Free Survival Rate after Colorectal Cancer Surgery.
OBJECTIVE
Increased expression of calcineurin in colorectal cancer (CRC) has been reported. Although the oncogenic function has been suggested, the clinical relevance is still unclear. We herein studied calcineurin expression as a prognostic biomarker in patients receiving curative surgery for stages I-III CRC.


METHODS
In 121 patients with stages I-III CRC treated at Hiroshima University between 1997 and 2003, calcineurin A expression was examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of surgical specimens. Specimens were considered positive for calcineurin A if any IHC-stained cells were observed within the carcinomatous area, and clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes were compared between IHC-positive and -negative groups.


RESULTS
Calcineurin A was preferentially expressed in the cytoplasm of cancer cells, and a median of 8% of the cells (range: 0-80%; interquartile range: 0-22.5%) were stained within the carcinomatous areas. Of 121 cases, 81 were determined as IHC positive while 40 were determined to be negative. Positive expression of calcineurin A, as well UICC-TNM stage, was associated with low relapse-free survival (RFS) rates in multivariate analyses (hazard ratio = 2.92; 95% CI: 1.27-7.92; p = 0.010).


CONCLUSIONS
Increased calcineurin A expression is associated with lower RFS rates and may have clinical value in predicting recurrence.
Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Hiroaki
H
Niitsu
Takao
T
Hinoi
Kazuhiro
K
Sentani
Shoichiro
S
Mukai
Tomohiro
T
Adachi
Yasufumi
Y
Saito
Masashi
M
Miguchi
Masatoshi
M
Kochi
Haruki
H
Sada
Naohide
N
Oue
Wataru
W
Yasui
Hideki
H
Ohdan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019703:Calcineurin