Expression Of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase RON In Colorectal Cancer And Its Significance

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignant cancers. In the Western countries, the mobility and mortality of the colorectal cancer have got the first place among the digestive tract's malignant tumors. About 30%-40% post-operated patients died for recurrence or metastasis. Though significant progresses have been made with surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the five-year survival rate remained fairly static over past 30 years.Recently, people found RON(recepteur d'origine nantais), a member of the MET oncogene family, has the ability of mediating epithelial cell dissociation, migration and inhibiting apoptosis, suggesting that RON might be involved in the progression and metastasis of epithelial cancers in vivo. Studies showed that RON is over-expressed in human colorectal cancer and breast cancer. But the relationship between the RON expression and clinical pathology stages remains unclear.Here, we used immunohistochemical analysis to detect the intensity of RON expression in the colorectal cancer specimens, then made a 3-year follow-up. And we analyses the relationship between the RON expression and clinical pathologic stages and prognosis.Materials and methodsMaterial Radical resection specimens of colorectal cancer;RON antibody (Rabbit anti human);Immunohistochemical S-P kit;HPIAS-100 colorized pathologic analytical system;Other experiment apparatus. Methods1) We treated all the specimens with formalin fixation, paraffin imbedding and made 4v m serial section, then we had the immunohistochemical staining.2) We first recorded the gray scale of the cancer tissue by HPIAS-100 colorized pathological analytical system.3) Then we analyses the relation between the RON expression and the Duke's stages.4) In addition, we kept a 3-year follow-up for the internalized patients, and accounted the 3-year survival rate. In the experiment, we used Kaplain-Meier model and log-rank test in univariate analysis.Results1) RON expression in the colorectal specimens: RON expression was observed in normal colorectal epithelium, colorectal adenoma and cancer, and the intensity of RON expression in tumor was much higher than in normal epithelium, suggesting that RON played an important role in tumorigenesis.2) RON expression in colorectal cancer: RON expression becajne enhanced when the clinical pathologic stages elevated, and RON over-expression was correlated with aggressive tumor characteristics, such as invasive depth and lymph nodes metastasis. Suggesting that RON might influence many steps in tumor progression and metastasis.3) RON expression and prognosis: The overall survival time were (31.5 ±2.2) months, and the disease-free survival time were (27.5+2.2) months. The overall 3-year survival rate was 77.21%, the disease-free 3-year survival rate was 76.05%. The significant factors in Kaplain-Meier analysis were Duke's stages and lymph node metastasis. But RON expression didn't have any effect on the post-operative life span.Conclusion1) All colorectal tissues expressed RON, and the intensity of RON expression in colorectal tumor was much higher than in normal epithelium.2) RON expression becomes enhanced when the Duke's stages elevated.3) RON expression had close relation with tumor progression and metastasis4) RON expression didn't have effect on the post-operative life span.