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EphA3 Downregulation by Hypermethylation Associated with Lymph Node Metastasis and TNM Stage in Colorectal Cancer

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Abstract

Background

EphA3 is a member of Eph receptors, which is involved in tumorigenesis. The expression and clinical significance of EphA3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been fully investigated.

Methods

Four colon cancer cell lines and a set of CRC tissues were examined for EphA3 expression. The methylation status of a CpG island within the EphA3 promoter, the presence of four somatic EPHA3 mutations, and EPHA3 gene copy number variations were also analyzed in colon cancer cell lines.

Results

EphA3 expression was lost in all colon cancer cell lines examined. EphA3 expression was lower in tumor tissues when compared with normal intestinal tissues (P < 0.001). A comparison of EphA3 immunohistochemical scores for tumor and matched normal intestinal tissues revealed that the protein was downregulated in 82/164 (50.0%), unchanged in 52/164 (31.7%), and upregulated in 30/164 (18.3%) cases of CRC. EphA3 expression was negatively associated with lymph node metastasis (P =0.014, rs=− 0.192) and TNM stage (P =0.001, rs=− 0.260). Downregulation of expression was more common in older patients (P =0.013, rs=0.193). Methylated promoter DNA was detected in all four colon cancer cell lines. Somatic mutations or EphA3 gene deletion was not detected.

Conclusions

EphA3 was downregulated in the majority of CRC. Hypermethylation of a CpG island within the EPHA3 promoter provides a possible mechanism. Loss of EphA3 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage and may therefore prove useful as a predictor for tumor spread in CRC.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the patients who participated in this study. This study was supported by Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81371611) and the National Basic Research Priorities Program 973 Project (2014CB744504) from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China. We thank James Monypenny, PhD, from Liwen Bianji, Edanz Group China (www.liwenbianji.cn/ac), for editing the English text of a draft of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China

    Yong Wang, Zhuoqi Xuan, Baocheng Wang, Dongsheng Zhang, Chuan Zhang & Yueming Sun

  2. Department of Pathology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, No. 305, Zhong Shan Dong Lu, Nanjing, 210002, China

    Jiandong Wang

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  1. Yong Wang
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Correspondence to Jiandong Wang or Yueming Sun.

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Wang, Y., Xuan, Z., Wang, B. et al. EphA3 Downregulation by Hypermethylation Associated with Lymph Node Metastasis and TNM Stage in Colorectal Cancer. Dig Dis Sci 64, 1514–1522 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-018-5421-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-018-5421-9

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