Aurora kinase expression in colorectal adenocarcinoma: correlations with clinicopathological features, p16 expression, and telomerase activity.

The clinicopathological roles of aurora kinase protein have not been studied in depth in colorectal cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathological roles of aurora kinase protein expression in a large cohort of patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma with tight methodology and close follow-up. Aurora kinase protein expression was investigated in 200 patients (110 men, 90 women) with colorectal adenocarcinomas by immunohistochemistry. The findings were correlated with the clinicopathological features, p16 expression, and telomerase activity of colorectal adenocarcinomas. Aurora kinase protein was detected in 48.5% (97/200) of patients with colorectal carcinoma. The protein was more frequently detected in patients with well or moderately differentiated colorectal carcinomas than in poorly differentiated colorectal adenocarcinomas (52% versus 31%, P = .004). Mucinous adenocarcinomas were less often positive for the protein (16% versus 56%, P = .0001). Aurora kinase protein expression was more commonly seen in carcinomas in the rectum, sigmoid, and descending colon than in the proximal colon (55% versus 36%, P = .01). Also, aurora kinase protein expression was related to the expression of p16 protein (P = .001) and correlated inversely with the level of telomerase activity in colorectal carcinomas (P = .005). To conclude, aurora kinase protein is expressed in a subset of colorectal carcinoma. The expression of aurora kinase protein was found to be related to the distal location, grade of tumor, p16 expression, and telomerase activity. These findings may be important to select patients to benefit for clinical trials of aurora kinase inhibitors.

p16 expression in colorectal adenocarcinoma: marker of aggressiveness and morphological types.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathological roles of p16 expression in a large cohort of patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma with tight methodology and close follow-up. METHODS: p16 protein expression was investigated in 194 patients (102 men, 92 women) with colorectal adenocarcinomas by immunohistochemistry. The findings were correlated with their clinicopathological features. RESULTS: p16 protein was detected in 80% (155 of 194) of patients with colorectal carcinoma. The p16 protein was more often detected in male patients with colorectal cancers (86% versus 73%, p = 0.03). p16 protein expression was more often seen in carcinomas in the rectum, sigmoid and descending colon compared with more proximal colon (90% versus 61%, p = 0.001). The p16 protein was more often detected in well or moderately differentiated colorectal adenocarcinoma than poorly differentiated colorectal adenocarcinoma (84% versus 63%, p = 0.009). The level of expression of p16 protein is related to the lymph nodal status (p = 0.004) and the TNM staging of the colorectal carcinoma (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: p16 protein expression was common in colorectal adenocarcinomas. The expression correlated with gender of the patient, distal location, differentiation and staging of the tumour. The findings suggest that p16 plays an important role in cancer pathogenesis and has implications for improving the clinical management.

hTERT expression in colorectal adenocarcinoma: correlations with p21, p53 expressions and clinicopathological features.

BACKGROUND: The clinicopathological roles and relationships of hTERT, p21 and p53 proteins have not been studied in depth in colorectal cancer. The aim of the present study is to investigate the clinicopathological roles of expression of hTERT protein expression and its relationship with the expression of p21 and p53 proteins in a large cohort of patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Expressions of hTERT, p21 and p53 proteins were investigated in 188 patients with colorectal adenocarcinomas by immunohistochemistry. The findings were correlated with the clinicopathological features and survival data of colorectal adenocarcinomas. RESULTS: hTERT, p53 and p21 proteins were detected in 63%, 100% and 62% of the patients with colorectal carcinoma. High level of hTERT protein expression was noted in patients with metastases (p = 0.038) and in patients with rectal cancer (p = 0.046). Loss or low level of p21 protein was often noted in non-mucinous colorectal adenocarcinoma when compared with mucinous adenocarcinoma (p = 0.001). Furthermore, p53 expression was more frequently noted in non-mucinous adenocarcinoma (p = 0.001). The level of expression of p21 protein was positively correlated with expression of level of hTERT protein (p = 0.00001). The survival of the patients was related to staging (p = 0.001) and p53 protein expression (p = 0.038) of the tumours. CONCLUSIONS: hTERT protein expression is an indicator of the biological aggressiveness of the cancer. The level of expression of the protein was also related to the distal location and level of p21 expression of the tumours.

Colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma: the clinicopathologic features and significance of p16 and p53 expression.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to examine the clinicopathologic features and p53 and p16 expressions in colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma. METHODS: The clinicopathologic features of 36 patients with colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma were analyzed and compared with 228 patients with colorectal adenocarcinomas. The p53 and p16 expressions in the colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma were studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma accounted for 14 percent of colorectal cancer. The median age at presentation was 67 years. Family history of colorectal cancer in their first-degree relatives was seen in 14 percent of these patients. Fifty-six percent of the carcinomas were located in the proximal colorectum, most commonly in the transverse colon. Two patients had ulcerative colitis. Compared with the usual colorectal adenocarcinoma, colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma was found more often in proximal colorectum (P = 0.002), larger (P = 0.05), and in advanced stages (P = 0.018). Forty-four percent (n = 16) of the colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma showed p53 expression. All the patients with colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma with a positive family history of colorectal adenocarcinoma had tumors that showed p53 expression (P = 0.012). Seventy-eight percent (n = 28) of the tumors showed p16 expression. The median survival of the patients with these tumors was 23 months. The survival of these patients with colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma was poorer if the lesions were of advanced stages (P = 0.023) or with family history of colorectal cancer (P = 0.0015). Also, patients with colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma that did not express p16 and p53 had better survival than other patients (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma had distinctive clinicopathologic features. Tumor staging, family history of colorectal cancer, and status of p53 and p16 expressions might predict prognosis in these patients.