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World J Gastroenterol. Jul 28, 2008; 14(28): 4562-4568
Published online Jul 28, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.4562
Correlation between expression and differentiation of endocan in colorectal cancer
Li Zuo, Su-Mei Zhang, Ruo-Lei Hu, Hua-Qing Zhu, Qing Zhou, Shu-Yu Gui, Qiang Wu, Yuan Wang
Li Zuo, Su-Mei Zhang, Ruo-Lei Hu, Hua-Qing Zhu, Qing Zhou, Yuan Wang, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Key Laboratory of Gene Resource Utilization for Severe Disease, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui Province, China
Shu-Yu Gui, Department of Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui Province, China
Qiang Wu, Department of Pathology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui Province, China
Author contributions: Zuo L, Zhang SM, Hu RL, Zhu HQ, Zhou Q, Gui SY, Wang Y designed and performed the research; Zuo L, Zhang SM, Gui SY, Wu Q, Wang Y analyzed the data and wrote the paper; Zuo L and Zhang SM contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence to: Yuan Wang, Professor, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Key Laboratory of Gene Resource Utilization for Severe Disease, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui Province, China. wangyuan@ahmu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-551-5161140
Fax: +86-551-5118963
Received: May 4, 2008
Revised: June 23, 2008
Accepted: June 30, 2008
Published online: July 28, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the expression frequency of endocan in colorectal cancer and analyze the relationship between endocan expression and clinical parameters and to study the role of endocan in colorectal carcinogenesis.

METHODS: Expression of endocan in 72 tumor tissue samples of colorectal cancer as well as in 27 normal mucous membrane tissue samples was analyzed using in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray, Western blot and reverse-transcript polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTS: The expression of endocan was higher in normal colon and rectum tissue samples than in cancerous tissue samples (mRNA = 92.6%, protein = 36%), and was lower in colorectal cancer tissue samples (mRNA = 70.4%, protein = 36.1%). No correlation was found between staining intensity and clinical parameters such as sex, age, tumor size and TNM stage. However, the expression of endocan was positively correlated with the tissue differentiation in colorectal cancer.

CONCLUSION: The expression of endocan is down-regulated in colorectal cancer and is positively correlated with the tissue differentiation in colorectal cancer, suggesting that the expression of endocan is associated with development and differentiation of colorectal cancer.

Keywords: Endocan, Colorectal cancer, Differentiation, Expression, In situ hybridization