Objective: To explore the relationship between clinicobiological action and expression of nm23 protein and estrogen receptor (ER) for colorectal cancer.
Methods: The expression of nm23 protein and ER for 209 cases of colorectal cancer was detected by immunohistochemistry assay (LSAB).
Results: The expression of nm23 protein was correlated with that of ER for colorectal cancer (r = 0.5319, P < 0.01). The expression of nm23 protein and ER in colorectal cancers was not related with patient's age, sex, tumor position, pathological type, histological type, and Dukes stage (r < 0.4, P > 0.05). The expression was related with the prognosis of colorectal cancer (P < 0.01). The higher the expression of nm23 protein and/or ER the better the prognosis, whereas the less the expression of nm23 protein and/or ER the worse the prognosis.
Conclusions: The abnormal expression of nm23 protein is correlated with the disturbance of estrogen metabolism in colorectal cancer. The detection of nm23 protein and ER is helpful for the diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of colorectal cancer.