| Abstract: |
Several genes have been identified that play a role in colon cancer development. However, less is known about factors that increase the rate of progression of colon cancers to metastasis. One candidate is transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1), which can enhance the aggressiveness of human colorectal cell lines in vitro and in vivo. The amount of TGFβ1, TGFβ2, and TGFβ3 protein isoforms expressed in primary site colorectal cancers were measured to determine whether any correlation existed between protein levels and disease recurrence in a series of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital patients who underwent potentially curative resections. Intense staining for TGFβ1 correlated significantly (P < 0.0013; odds ratio, 18) with disease progression to metastasis and was independent of nodal status and the degree of differentiation of the primary tumor. Therefore, in this study, patients with high TGFβ1 protein levels in their primary site colorectal cancer were 18 times more likely to experience recurrence of their disease than were patients whose tumors exhibited low levels of TGFβ1. In this case-control study, patients whose cancer recurred and those remaining cancer free were age and sex matched. The disease recurred at a mean of 26.8 ± 4.3 (SE) months, whereas the mean follow-up time in patients whose disease did not recur was over twice as long, 57.3 ± 6.6 months. Ninety-four % of the patients in each group were node positive at the time of resection, with equal mean numbers of positive nodes per patient. No correlation between disease progression and abundance of either TGFβ2 or TGFβ3 was observed. Thus, elevated levels of TGFβ1 protein in the primary site colorectal cancer correlate with an increased risk for progression to metastasis. © 1995, American Association for Cancer Research. All rights reserved. |
| Keywords: |
adult; clinical article; controlled study; human tissue; aged; human cell; case-control studies; cancer growth; recurrent cancer; follow-up studies; lymph node metastasis; metastasis; gene expression; transforming growth factor beta; tumor differentiation; risk factors; recurrence; cancer cell culture; tumor cells, cultured; colorectal neoplasms; disease progression; colon cancer; neoplasm metastasis; transforming growth factor beta1; rna, neoplasm; middle age; transforming growth factor beta3; transforming growth factor beta2; human; male; female; priority journal; article; support, non-u.s. gov't; support, u.s. gov't, p.h.s.
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