Affiliations: [a] Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt | [b] Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt | [c] General Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt | [d] Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt | [e] Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Samia Hussein, Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. Tel.: +20 1062725981; E-mail: samiahussein82@hotmail.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one of the main events in colorectal cancer
(CRC) spread. Snail-1 is a zinc transcription factor that mediates EMT in tumor cells probably
by down-regulation of E-cadherin and claudin-1. OBJECTIVES: To detect the expression of epithelial markers (claudin-1 and E-cadherin) and
mesenchymal markers (snail-1 and vimentin) in primary cancer colon. Also, to select stage
II cancer patients of a high risk that can benefit from postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical
analysis were performed to investigate snail-1, claudin-1, E-cadherin and vimentin
expressions at mRNA and protein levels in fresh tissues of cancer colon and normal
colonic mucosa. The correlations between the expression of these markers and
clinicopathological parameters were performed. RESULTS: Normal colonic mucosa revealed complete membranous expression of claudin-1,
preserved E-cadherin and negative snail-1 and vimentin expressions. Compared to
control, the expression of snail-1 and vimentin mRNA in
cancer colon was significantly up-regulated while the expression of claudin-1
and E-cadherin mRNA was significantly down-regulated. These changes were
significantly associated with stage and lymph node involvement at both mRNA and protein levels
(p< 0.05).
There were significant negative correlations between vimentin and each of E-cadherin and claudin-1 gene expression and between snail-1 and each of E-cadherin and claudin-1 gene expression. Moreover, these changes were independent predictors of recurrence of stage II cancer colon cases. CONCLUSION: There is a clinical significance of snail-1, claudin-1, E-cadherin and vimentin as possible markers for recognizing patients with lymph node involvement, advanced stage and high incidence of tumor recurrence in cancer colon.
