α‐SMA⁺ cancer‐associated fibroblasts increased tumor enhancement ratio on contrast‐enhanced multidetector‐row computed tomography in stages I–III colon cancer

Abstract

Background and AimOur prior research revealed that the tumor enhancement ratio (TER) on triphasic abdominal contrast‐enhanced MDCT (CE‐MDCT) scans was a prognostic factor for patients with stages I–III colon cancer. Building upon this finding, the present study aims to investigate the proteomic changes in colon cancer patients with varying TER values.MethodsTER was analyzed on preoperative triphasic CE‐MDCT scans of 160 stages I–III colon cancer patients. The survival outcomes of those in the low‐TER and high‐TER groups were compared. Proteomic analysis on colon cancer tissues was performed by mass spectrometry (MS) and verified by immune‐histological chemistry (IHC) assays. In vivo, mouse xenograft models were employed to test the function of target proteins identified through the MS. CE‐MDCT scans were conducted on mice xenografts, and the TER values were compared.ResultsPatients in the high‐TER group had a significantly worse prognosis than those in the low‐TER group. Proteomic analysis of colon cancer tissues revealed 153 differentially expressed proteins between the two groups. A correlation between TER and the abundance of α‐SMA protein in tumor tissue was observed. IHC assays further confirmed that α‐SMA protein expression was significantly increased in high‐TER colon cancer, predominantly in cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within the cancer stroma. Moreover, CAFs promoted the growth of CRC xenografts in vivo and increased TER.ConclusionsOur study identified the distinct protein changes in colon cancer with low and high TER for the first time. The presence of CAFs may promote the growth of colon cancer and contribute to an increased TER.