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Expression of cholecystokinin receptors in colon cancer and the clinical correlation in Taiwan

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Tumor Biology

Abstract

Cholecystokinin and gastrin receptors are upregulated in many human digestive malignancies; however, the correlation of their expressions with severity of colon carcinoma remains sketchy. Here, we determined the expression of cholecystokinin-1 and cholecystokinin-2 receptor, CCK1R and CCK2R, in colon carcinomas and investigated their correlations with clinicopathological characteristics and 1-year survival rate. Expression of CCK1R and CCK2R was determined by immunohistochemical assay in tissue samples obtained from 97 surgical specimens. Clinicopathological character analysis revealed that higher expression of cytoplasmic CCK1R and CCK2R was significantly associated with several variables including the depth of tumor invasion (P = 0.001), venous invasion (P = 0.023), and progression stage (P = 0.013). In addition, immunohistochemical staining revealed statistically significant associations of nuclear CCK1R expression with higher lymphatic invasion (P = 0.042), progression stage (P = 0.025), and unfavorable survival (P = 0.025). Interestingly, we found no link between nuclear CCK2R expression and all the clinicopathological characteristics examined. Taken these, our findings indicate that nuclear CCK1R represents a potential biomarker for poor prognosis, and CCK1R may play a role differing from CCK2R in colon carcinogenesis.

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Acknowledgments

The present work was partly supported by Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan (grant number TTMHH-102R0018). We thank Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital Cancer Center and Department of Medical Research for the assistance in pathophysiological evaluation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

    Bee-Piao Huang

  2. Institute of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung, 402, Taiwan

    Chun-Hsiang Lin, Yi-Ching Chen & Shao-Hsuan Kao

  3. Clinical Laboratory, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

    Shao-Hsuan Kao

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  1. Bee-Piao Huang
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Correspondence to Shao-Hsuan Kao.

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This study was approved by the internal review board of Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital.

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Huang, BP., Lin, CH., Chen, YC. et al. Expression of cholecystokinin receptors in colon cancer and the clinical correlation in Taiwan. Tumor Biol. 37, 4579–4584 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-015-4306-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-015-4306-1

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