Published online Jan 15, 2019. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v11.i1.9
Peer-review started: October 18, 2018
First decision: November 14, 2018
Revised: December 5, 2018
Accepted: December 17, 2018
Article in press: December 17, 2018
Published online: January 15, 2019
Processing time: 90 Days and 5.2 Hours
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract. The worldwide mortality rate of CRC is about one half of its morbidity. Ubiquitin is a key regulatory factor in the cell cycle and widely exists in eukaryotes. Human leukocyte antigen F-associated transcript 10 (FAT10), known as diubiquitin, is an 18 kDa protein with 29% and 36% homology with the N and C termini of ubiquitin. The function of FAT10 has not been fully elucidated, and some studies have shown that it plays an important role in various cell processes.
To examine FAT10 expression and to analyze the relationship between FAT10 expression and the clinicopathological parameters of CRC.
FAT10 expression in 61 cases of CRC and para-cancer colorectal tissues was measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. The relationship between FAT10 expression and clinicopathological parameters of CRC was statistically analyzed.
Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the positive rate of FAT10 expression in CRC (63.93%) was significantly higher than that in tumor-adjacent tissues (9.84%, P < 0.05) and normal colorectal mucosal tissue (1.64%, P < 0.05). Western blotting also indicated that FAT10 expression was significantly higher in CRC than in tumor-adjacent tissue (P < 0.05). FAT10 expression was closely associated with clinical stage and lymphatic spread of CRC. FAT10 expression also positively correlated with p53 expression.
FAT10 expression is highly upregulated in CRC. FAT10 expression is closely associated with clinical stage and lymphatic spread of CRC.
Core tip: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract. Genetic studies have demonstrated that the development of CRC is a complex process involving the activation of proto-oncogenes, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, gene mutations, and dysregulation of apoptosis-related genes. Human leukocyte antigen F-associated transcript 10 (FAT10) is a regulatory protein of the ubiquitin-like modifier family that regulates various cell processes including mitosis, chromosome stability, apoptosis, immune control, and 26S-proteasome-mediated protein degradation. Our study investigated FAT10 expression in tumor and tumor-adjacent tissues of CRC patients and analyzed the relationship between FAT10 expression and the clinicopathological parameters of CRC.