Less demand on stem cell marker-positive cancer cells may characterize metastasis of colon cancer

Abstract

Background CD44 and CD133 are stem cell markers in colorectal cancer (CRC). CD44 has distinctive isoforms with different oncological properties like total CD44 (CD44T) and variant CD44 (CD44V). Clinical significance of such markers remains elusive. Methods Sixty colon cancer were examined for CD44T/CD44V and CD133 at mRNA level in a quantitative PCR, and clarified for their association with clinicopathological factors. Results (1) Both CD44T and CD44V showed higher expression in primary colon tumors than in non-cancerous mucosas (p<0.0001), while CD133 was expressed even in non-cancerous mucosa and rather decreased in the tumors (p = 0.048). (2) CD44V expression was significantly associated with CD44T expression (R = 0.62, p<0.0001), while they were not correlated to CD133 at all in the primary tumors. (3) CD44V/CD44T expressions were significantly higher in right colon cancer than in left colon cancer (p = 0.035/p = 0.012, respectively), while CD133 expression were not (p = 0.20). (4) In primary tumors, unexpectedly, CD44V/CD44T/CD133 mRNA expressions were not correlated with aggressive phenotypes, but CD44V/CD44T rather significantly with less aggressive lymph node metastasis/distant metastasis (p = 0.040/p = 0.039, respectively). Moreover, both CD44V and CD133 expressions were significantly decreased in liver metastasis as compared to primary tumors (p = 0.0005 and p = 0.0006, respectively). Conclusion Our transcript expression analysis of cancer stem cell markers did not conclude that their expression could represent aggressive phenotypes of primary and metastatic tumors, and rather represented less demand on stem cell marker-positive cancer cells.

Can CD133 Be Regarded as a Prognostic Biomarker in Oncology: Pros and Cons

“…A recently published study analyzed CD133 mRNA expression in 60 colon cancer samples and found no correlation of its expression with the aggressive phenotype of primary and metastatic tumors. In primary tumors, CD133 mRNA expression did not correlate with aggressive phenotypes, and in liver metastases, it was significantly lower compared with primary tumors [146]. In another colorectal cancer study, the immunohistochemical analysis of the CD133 expression in 142 primary and 75 peritoneal lesions identified CD133 in 55% and 40% of the tumor samples, respectively.…”