Background: Cullin1 and MMP-2 have been identified as important markers in various cancers, but their roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) have remained to be discovered. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern and significance of Cullin1 and MMP-2 in CRC.
Methods: A total of 470 CRC patients were enrolled. Archival paraffin-embedded CRC tissue samples were used to generate tissue microarray blocks, which were immunohistochemically stained for Cullin1 and MMP-2. Prognostic and predictive role of Cullin1 and MMP-2 expression was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis, respectively. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results: Cullin1 and MMP-2 protein levels were significantly upregulated in CRC tissues compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues. High tumoral Cullin1 or MMP-2 expression significantly correlated with shorter overall survival (OS), as well as with clinicopathologic characteristics in patients. Multivariate regression analysis showed that high Cullin1 and MMP-2 expressions, separately and together, were independent negative markers of OS.
Conclusion: Cullin1 and MMP-2 expressions could be novel diagnostic and prognostic markers for CRC patients.
Keywords: Cullin1; MMP-2; colorectal cancer; diagnosis; prognosis.