Prognostic values of tumor endothelial markers in patients with colorectal cancer.

AIM

Tumor endothelial markers (TEMs) are a newly discovered family of endothelial markers associated with tumor specific angiogenesis. This study sought to examine the levels of expression (qualitatively and quantitatively) for TEMs in human colon cancer.

METHODS

Human colorectal cancer tissues (n = 48) and normal background tissues (n = 31) were obtained after surgery. RNA was extracted from frozen sections for gene amplification. The expression of TEMs (TEM-1 to TEM-8) was assessed using RT-PCR and their transcript levels were determined using real-time-quantitative PCR (Q-RT-PCR).

RESULTS

TEM-1 (P = 0.01), TEM-7 (P = 0.04), TEM-7R (P = 0.03), TEM-8 (P = 0.001) significantly raised in colon cancer tissues compared with the levels detected in normal background tissues. The expressions of TEM-2 and TEM-6 were found to be not significantly different between tumor tissues and normal tissues (P > 0.05). Patients who had cancer penetrating into and through the muscularis propria of the bowel wall and developed nodal involvement (Dukes C) exhibited significantly higher levels of TEM -8 compared to patients who were node negative (P < 0.05). TEM-7 and TEM-7R showed high level of transcripts in Dukes C, but they were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

The level of the expression of TEM-1, TEM-7, TEM-7R and TEM-8 (but not TEM-2 and TEM-6) were associated with both nodal involvement and disease progression, and may therefore, have a prognostic value in colorectal cancer.