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Tissue Expression of the Proteins Fas and Fas Ligand in Colorectal Cancer and Liver Metastases

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Abstract

Background and Aim

Our purpose is to study the clinical significance of Fas/FasL expression in colon cancer and liver metastases (LM).

Material and Methods

The expression of Fas/FasL in 68 patients with colon cancer was examined immunohistochemically and correlated to the clinicopathological features of the tumors.

Results

High expression of FasL, was observed in stage D and in LM (p=0.024). Fas expression was reduced in stage D tumors and in LM, when compared to earlier stages of disease (p=0.024). LM had also shown a decreased expression of Fas (p=0.016). Tumors with low FasL expression upregulate more often their Fas expression (p = 0.028). No correlation could be established regarding the patients survival.

Conclusions

Low expression of Fas and high expression of FasL are more often in colon tumor stage D and in liver metastasis; these imply tumor aggression, resistance against apoptosis, and could be held as negative prognostic factors.

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Acknowledgment

This study was conducted as part of a Thesis for the MSc in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Course at the Medical School of the Democritus University of Thrace.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Second Department of Surgery, Democritus University of Thrace, Medical School, 68 100, Alexandroupolis, Greece

    Stylianos Kykalos, Spuridon Mathaiou, Anastasios J. Karayiannakis, Dimitris Patsouras & Constantinos Simopoulos

  2. Department of Histology-Embryology, Democritus University of Thrace, Medical School, 68 100, Alexandroupolis, Greece

    Maria Lambropoulou

  3. Psaron str. 79, 15343, Athens, Greece

    Stylianos Kykalos

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  1. Stylianos Kykalos
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  2. Spuridon Mathaiou
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  3. Anastasios J. Karayiannakis
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  4. Dimitris Patsouras
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  5. Maria Lambropoulou
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  6. Constantinos Simopoulos
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Correspondence to Stylianos Kykalos.

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Kykalos, S., Mathaiou, S., Karayiannakis, A.J. et al. Tissue Expression of the Proteins Fas and Fas Ligand in Colorectal Cancer and Liver Metastases. J Gastrointest Canc 43, 224–228 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-011-9252-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-011-9252-6

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