Brief Article
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 21, 2010; 16(19): 2421-2427
Published online May 21, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i19.2421
EZH2 and STAT6 expression profiles are correlated with colorectal cancer stage and prognosis
Cheng-Gang Wang, Ying-Jiang Ye, Jing Yuan, Fang-Fang Liu, Hui Zhang, Shan Wang
Cheng-Gang Wang, Ying-Jiang Ye, Hui Zhang, Shan Wang, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Surgical Oncology Laboratory, People’s Hospital, Beijing University, Beijing 100044, China
Jing Yuan, Department of Pathology, Chinese People’s Liberation Army Hospital, Beijing 100036, China
Fang-Fang Liu, Department of Pathology, People’s Hospital, Beijing University, Beijing 100044, China
Author contributions: Wang CG and Wang S designed the research; Yuan J and Liu FF performed histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses of slides; Zhang H and Wang CG wrote the article; Ye YJ and Wang S revised the article.
Supported by National High-Tech Research and Development Program of China (863 Program), No. 2006AA02A402
Correspondence to: Dr. Shan Wang, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Surgical Oncology Laboratory, People’s Hospital, Beijing University, No. 11, South Xizhimen Street, Beijing 100044, China. shanwang11@gmail.com
Telephone: +86-10-88324478 Fax: +86-10-88324479
Received: February 3, 2010
Revised: March 19, 2010
Accepted: March 26, 2010
Published online: May 21, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the role of enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) and STAT6 immunohistochemistry in the evaluation of clinical stages and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS: The expression patterns were examined by immunohistochemistry in both tumor and adjacent non-neoplastic tissues of 119 CRC patients who underwent operation during the time period from 2002 to 2004.

RESULTS: The positive rates of EZH2 and STAT6 in CRC cases were 69.7% (83 of 119) and 60.5% (72 of 119), respectively, and there was significant difference when compared with tumor adjacent non-neoplastic tissues (P < 0.05). In all CRC cases, patients with EZH2-positive, or STAT6-positive expression had lower survival rates than those with EZH2-negative or STAT6-negative expression (P = 0.002 and P = 0.005, respectively). Co-expression of EZH2 and STAT6 showed significantly higher levels in CRC cases of high clinical TNM stages (P = 0.001), and the expression of STAT6 was also correlated with lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis (P = 0.001 and P = 0.016, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that EZH2 expression was an independent prognostic indicator of CRC (P = 0.039).

CONCLUSION: EZH2 and STAT6 expressions have significant values in distinguishing clinical stages of CRC and predicting the prognosis of the patients.

Keywords: Colorectal Neoplasms; Enhancer of zeste homologue 2; STAT6; Immunohistochemistry