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Elevated transcript level of hyaluronan synthase1 gene correlates with poor prognosis of human colon cancer

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Abstract

Hyaluronan plays important roles in the complex processes of tumor invasion and metastasis. It is now known that three hyaluronan synthase (HAS) isoforms catalyze hyaluronan synthesis, which raises the question of how they are involved in malignant tumor progression. In this study, we examined the correlation between tumor progression and transcriptional levels of three HAS isoforms in specimens of human colon cancers. Tumor tissues from 31 patients with different diagnostic grades were assessed to determine the level of each HAS isoform by real time RT-PCR. The mean expression coefficients for HAS1, HAS2 and HAS3 in the cancerous parts were 0.82-, 0.91- and 1.22-fold, respectively; of those in the noncancerous parts at Dukes' stage A; 1.00-, 0.95- and 1.06-fold, respectively, at stage B; and 1.95-, 1.16- and 1.19-fold, respectively, at stage C. In survival analysis, a significant correlation was observed between poor survival and the HAS1 transcript level. When the ratio of tumor to normal tissue in the HAS1 level was compared with that of the HA receptor transcript level, there was a positive correlation with that of the CD44 variant 6 level at Dukes' stage C. Our current results therefore suggest that HAS1 plays a role in the malignant progression of human colon cancer cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Molecular Science of Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan

    Yoichi Yamada, Naoki Itano & Koji Kimata

  2. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan

    Yoichi Yamada & Minoru Ueda

  3. CREST, JST, Japan

    Naoki Itano & Takashi Kudo

  4. Glycogene Function Team, Research Center for Glycoscience, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Open Space Laboratory C-2, Ibaraki, Japan

    Hisashi Narimatsu

  5. Division of Surgery, Hussa Hospital, Hussa, Tokyo, Japan

    Kyoei Morozumi

  6. Pathology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Kyoei Morozumi, Setsuo Hirohashi & Atsushi Ochiai

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  1. Yoichi Yamada
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  2. Naoki Itano
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Correspondence to Naoki Itano.

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Yamada, Y., Itano, N., Narimatsu, H. et al. Elevated transcript level of hyaluronan synthase1 gene correlates with poor prognosis of human colon cancer. Clin Exp Metastasis 21, 57–63 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:CLIN.0000017203.71293.e0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:CLIN.0000017203.71293.e0

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