Relation between stage, grade, proliferation, and expression of p53 and CD44 in adenomas and carcinomas of the colorectum.

AIMS--To investigate the changes in and relations among p53, CD44 and MIB-1 expression in adenocarcinomas of the colorectum and to determine whether these changes are progressive across the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. METHODS--Expression of p53 protein, CD44 adhesion molecule and MIB-1 proliferation antigen was detected using immunohistochemistry in 68 colorectal carcinomas and 32 colorectal adenoma. The staining characteristics were compared with degree of dysplasia in adenomas, and differentiation and Dukes' stage in carcinomas. Results were analysed and assessed using Spearman's rank correlation and independent t tests. RESULTS--p53 staining was present in som adenomas and correlated with the degree of dysplasia. There was significantly more staining in carcinomas than adenomas and significant correlation between staining and Dukes' stage. CD44 staining was maximal in adenomas, diminished in carcinomas and was minimal in metastasising carcinomas. There was inverse correlation between p53 and CD44 expression across the adenoma-carcinoma-metastasising carcinoma sequence. MIB-1 expression was highest in carcinomas but did not correlate with either p53 or CD44 expression. CONCLUSIONS--There are progressive changes in p53, CD44 and MIB-1 expression in adenomas and carcinomas. A combination of these tests may prove useful in assessing which patients with adenomas are at greatest risk of progressing to carcinoma.

[1]  P. Herrlich,et al.  Expression of mutant p53 protein and CD44 variant proteins in colorectal tumorigenesis. , 1995, Gut.

[2]  D. Smith,et al.  p53 and behaviour of colorectal cancer , 1994, The Lancet.

[3]  B. Vogelstein,et al.  An evaluation of six antibodies for immunohistochemistry of mutant p53 gene product in archival colorectal neoplasms , 1994, The Journal of pathology.

[4]  B. Vojtesek,et al.  Problems with p53 immunohistochemical staining: the effect of fixation and variation in the methods of evaluation. , 1994, British Journal of Cancer.

[5]  F M van den Berg,et al.  Expression of CD44 variant proteins in human colorectal cancer is related to tumor progression. , 1993, Cancer research.

[6]  G. Screaton,et al.  CD44 and cancer screening , 1993, The Lancet.

[7]  P. Quirke,et al.  p53 expression and K-ras mutation in colorectal adenomas. , 1993, Gut.

[8]  L. Ellis,et al.  Expression of CD44R1 adhesion molecule in colon carcinomas and metastases , 1993, The Lancet.

[9]  P. Herrlich,et al.  A human homologue of the rat metastasis-associated variant of CD44 is expressed in colorectal carcinomas and adenomatous polyps , 1993, The Journal of cell biology.

[10]  H. Zhang,et al.  Prognostic significance of cytoplasmic p53 oncoprotein in colorectal adenocarcinoma , 1992, The Lancet.

[11]  A. Zauber,et al.  The National Polyp Study. Patient and polyp characteristics associated with high-grade dysplasia in colorectal adenomas. , 1990, Gastroenterology.

[12]  N. Wolmark,et al.  Dukes' classification revisited. Findings from the national surgical adjuvant breast and bowel projects (protocol r‐01) , 1989 .

[13]  J. Arends,et al.  A multivariate analysis of pathologic prognostic indicators in large bowel cancer , 1988, Cancer.

[14]  O. Dent,et al.  A multivariate analysis of clinical and pathological variables in prognosis after resection of large bowel cancer , 1985, The British journal of surgery.

[15]  G. Thomas,et al.  Association of p53 mutations with short survival in colorectal cancer. , 1994, Gastroenterology.

[16]  A. Forbes,et al.  CD44 is associated with proliferation in normal and neoplastic human colorectal epithelial cells. , 1993, European journal of cancer.