Colorectal Cancer
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 21, 2005; 11(7): 964-969
Published online Feb 21, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i7.964
Expression and significance of Tie-1 and Tie-2 receptors, and angiopoietins-1, 2 and 4 in colorectal adenocarcinoma: Immunohistochemical analysis and correlation with clinicopathological factors
Toshiyuki Nakayama, Go Hatachi, Chun-Yang Wen, Ayumi Yoshizaki, Kazuyuki Yamazumi, Daisuke Niino, Ichiro Sekine
Toshiyuki Nakayama, Go Hatachi, Chun-Yang Wen, Ayumi Yoshizaki, Kazuyuki Yamazumi, Daisuke Niino, Ichiro Sekine, Department of Molecular Pathology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
Chun-Yang Wen, Department of Digestive Disease, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Toshiyuki Nakayama, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Molecular Pathology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan. toshi-n@net.nagasaki-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-95-849-7107 Fax: +81-95-849-7108
Received: April 10, 2004
Revised: April 12, 2004
Accepted: May 25, 2004
Published online: February 21, 2005
Abstract

AIM: There is strong evidence that tyrosine kinases are involved in the regulation of tumor progression, cellular growth and differentiation. Recently, many kinds of tyrosine kinase receptors have been reported, among them Tie-1 and Tie-2 receptors constitute a major class. Angiopoietin (Ang)-1 is known as a ligand of Tie-2 tyrosine kinase receptor. The objective of this study was to establish a comprehensive Tie-1 and Tie-2 and Ang-1, 2 and 4 expression profile in human colorectal adenocarcinomas.

METHODS: We examined 96 cases of surgically resected human colorectal adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemistry and investigated the statistical correlation between the expressions of Ties and Angs and clinicopathological factors.

RESULTS: Among the 96 cases of adenocarcinoma, 87 (90.6%), 92 (95.8%), 83 (86.5%), 89 (92.7%), and 76 cases (79.2%) showed positive staining in the cytoplasm of carcinoma cells for the Tie-1 and Tie-2 and Ang-1, 2 and 4 proteins, respectively. Histologically, the expressions of Ties and Angs were variable. The expressions of Ties and Angs were correlated with several clinicopathological factors, but did not correlate with the presence of lymph node metastasis. Ties and Angs were highly expressed in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells.

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the Tie-Ang receptor-ligand complex is one of the factors involved in the cellular differentiation and progression of human colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Keywords: Tie, Angiopoietin, Colorectal carcinoma