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Overexpression of CPE-ΔN predicts poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients

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Tumor Biology

Abstract

Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) is one of the most important carboxypeptidases involved in biosynthesis of numerous peptide hormones and neurotransmitters and has an important role in endocrine regulation. A splice variant of CPE (CPE-ΔN) has been detected and the mechanism of CPE-ΔN action in tumorigenesis has been studied in many different cancers. The aim of this study was to examine CPE-ΔN expression in human colorectal cancer (CRC) and to evaluate its possible use as a potential prognostic marker. Two hundred nineteen primary colorectal tumors and corresponding normal tissues were included in the study. We have analyzed CPE-ΔN isoform expression by qRT-PCR and Western blot in 219 CRC patients. Correlations between CPE-ΔN mRNA expression and clinicopathological variables were determined with chi-square tests. Survival probabilities were determined using Kaplan–Meier analysis, and univariate and multivariate analyses of the prognostic factors were performed with a Cox regression model. Our results show that CPE-ΔN is overexpressed in colorectal tumor tissue and that high CPE-ΔN mRNA expression is closely correlated with tumor differentiation, pT classification, pN classification, tumor recurrence, and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.042, 0.036, 0.031, 0.006, and 0.008, respectively). However, no correlation was observed between CPE-ΔN expression and age, gender, tumor localization, gross features, and the tumor size. In addition, patients with high CPE-ΔN expression had a significantly shorter survival (P < 0.001, logrank test). Tumor differentiation, gross feature, pT classification, pN classification, tumor recurrence, lymph node metastasis, and CPE-ΔN status were significantly associated with poor prognosis after performing a univariate Cox survival analysis. High CPE-ΔN expression was also identified as an independent prognostic factor using a multivariate analysis (P = 0.011). Based on these results, we can conclude that CPE-ΔN expression might be a potential prognostic marker for colorectal cancer patients.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Medjaden Bioscience Limited for assisting in the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory, The 4th Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, 37 Yiyuan Street, Nangang, Harbin, People’s Republic of China

    Kun Zhou, Hongyan Liang, Yang Liu, Chun Yang & Xiaofeng Jiang

  2. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Daqing Oilfield General Hospital Group, 9 Zhongkang Street, Saertu, Daqing, People’s Republic of China

    Kun Zhou

  3. Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Harbin, People’s Republic of China

    Hongyan Liang & Xiaofeng Jiang

  4. The 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of China

    Peijia Liu

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  1. Kun Zhou
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  2. Hongyan Liang
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  3. Yang Liu
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  4. Chun Yang
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  5. Peijia Liu
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Correspondence to Kun Zhou or Xiaofeng Jiang.

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Kun Zhou & Hongyan Liang contributed equally to this work.

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Zhou, K., Liang, H., Liu, Y. et al. Overexpression of CPE-ΔN predicts poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. Tumor Biol. 34, 3691–3699 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-013-0952-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-013-0952-3

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