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Nuclear expression of CXCR4 is associated with advanced colorectal cancer

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International Journal of Colorectal Disease Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background and objectives

CXCR4 and its ligand, SDF-1α, play an important role in the targeted metastasis of colon cancer. In this study, we analyzed an expression of CXCR4 in clinical samples and showed that SDF-1α affected the expression of CXCR4 in colon cancer cells.

Materials and methods

A total of 388 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) who underwent surgery in Taipei Veterans General Hospital from 2000 to 2004 were included. The expression of CXCR4 in CRC was visualized by immunohistochemistry (anti-CXCR4 mAb, R&D 12G5). HCT116, SW480, and SW620 cells were treated with SDF-1α in vitro and the CXCR4 proteins located in the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments were separated and analyzed with western blotting.

Results

The frequency of cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of CXCR4 in colorectal cancers was 35.6% and 36.9%, respectively. Nuclear but not cytoplasmic expression of CXCR4 was associated with advanced CRC (p < 0.001) and lymphovascular invasion. However, in multivariate analysis, nuclear expression of CXCR4 did not correlate with patients' outcome. In the in vitro study, SDF-1α, stimulation of three colorectal carcinoma lines enhanced the CXCR4 nuclear expression.

Conclusion

Expression of the CXCR4 plays a role in CRC progression and may be associated with SDF-1α stimulation.

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Abbreviations

CRC:

Colorectal cancer

DFS:

Disease-free survival

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Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the grants from Taipei-Veterans General Hospital (V99C1-011, V99A-015, V98C1-093).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, No 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, 11217, Taiwan

    Shang-Chiung Wang, Jen-Kou Lin, Huann-Sheng Wang, Shung-Haur Yang & Shih-Ching Chang

  2. Department of Pathology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Anna Fen-Yau Li

Authors
  1. Shang-Chiung Wang
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  2. Jen-Kou Lin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shih-Ching Chang.

Electronic supplementary materials

Supplementary Table

Staged 5-year survival rate (95% confidence interval) of 388 CRC patients in relation to cytoplasmic or nuclear CXCR4 status (DOC 24 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 1

(GIF 131 kb)

High resolution image file. (TIFF 614 kb)

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Wang, SC., Lin, JK., Wang, HS. et al. Nuclear expression of CXCR4 is associated with advanced colorectal cancer. Int J Colorectal Dis 25, 1185–1191 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-010-0999-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-010-0999-1

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