Abstract
530 Background: It has recently been suggested that the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis is involved in tumor progression, angiogenesis, metastasis, and survival in various cancer. In this study, we investigate the possible role of SDF-1/CXCR4 axis in colorectal liver metastasis. Methods: Both primary colorectal tumors and liver metastatic tumors were obtained from 12 patients with colorectal liver metastasis. Expression levels of CXCR4 and SDF-1 were determined using RT-PCR. In 4 patients with benign liver disease, the expression level of SDF-1 in normal liver tissues was also determined. We divided the 12 patients into two groups; high expression group (n=6) and low expression group (n=6) according to each expression level of SDF-1 and CXCR4, and compared the clinicopathological factors between the two groups. Results: 1. CXCR4 expression levels in primary tumor: The frequency of the peritoneal dissemination in the CXCR4 high expression group was higher than in the low expression group (p=0.07). Moreover, overall survival rate in the CXCR4 high expression group was significantly lower than that in the low expression group (3 year-survival rate: 67% vs. 100%, p<0.05). 2. CXCR4 in metastatic tumor tissues and SDF-1 in non-tumor liver tissues: The expression level of SDF-1 in non-tumor liver tissues was significantly higher than that in normal liver tissues (p<0.01). A significant correlation between the CXCR4 expression levels in metastatic tumor tissues and SDF-1 expression levels of non-tumor liver tissues (p<0.05). The number of metastatic liver tumors in the SDF-1 high expression group tended to be larger than that in the low expression group (p=0.12). Conclusions: The present data suggest that there is a significant association of the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis with enhanced liver metastasis and poor prognosis of the patients with colorectal liver metastasis. Furthermore, an enhanced expression of SDF-1 in non-tumor liver tissues may have an important role in the formation of liver metastasis.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have