S100A4 may be a good prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for colon cancer

Background: Globally, the colorectal cancers rank the third in terms of cancer incidence and rank the fourth in cancer-associated deaths. S100A4, an important member of the S100 protein family, serves to promote tumor progression and metastasis. By conducting this study, we aim to examine the role of S100A4 in the prognosis of colon cancer and to demonstrate its prognostic significance. Methods: Tissue samples of colon cancer from 148 patients who underwent colon resection due to colon cancer were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining to determine the protein expression levels of S100A4. The protein expression levels of S100A4 in tumor tissue were matched with the clinicopathologic factors including patient survival. Results: Cytoplasmic expression of S100A4 protein was demonstrated in the tumor tissue of 132 patients (89.2%) out of a total of 148 study patients. Statistically, the expression levels of the cytoplasmic S100A4 protein correlated significantly with the TNM stages and patient survival. The distribution of the S100A4 protein staining in the tumor tissue was associated with the age groups, tumor localization, TNM staging, and patient survival with statistical significance. The levels of S100A4 protein expression was found to be an independent prognostic factor for TNM staging and poor survival. Conclusion: Expression of the S100A4 protein in colon cancers may be an indicator of tumor progression and lymph node metastasis and may be useful for predicting the overall survival of the patients with colon cancer. In patients with colon cancer, it may be used as an indicator of poor prognosis.

研究背景：结直肠癌在全球癌症发病率中位列第三，癌症相关死亡病例数位列第四。S100A4作为S100蛋白家族的重要成员，可促进肿瘤进展与转移。本研究旨在探讨S100A4在结肠癌预后中的作用，并阐明其预后价值。
研究方法：收集148例因结肠癌接受结肠切除术患者的结肠癌组织样本，采用免疫组织化学染色（immunohistochemical staining）检测S100A4的蛋白表达水平，并将肿瘤组织中S100A4的蛋白表达水平与包括患者生存期在内的临床病理因素进行关联分析。
研究结果：148例研究对象中，132例（89.2%）的肿瘤组织可检测到S100A4蛋白的细胞质表达。统计学分析显示，细胞质S100A4蛋白的表达水平与TNM分期及患者生存期显著相关。肿瘤组织中S100A4蛋白的染色分布与患者年龄分组、肿瘤定位、TNM分期及患者生存期均存在统计学意义上的关联。S100A4蛋白的表达水平是影响TNM分期及不良生存期的独立预后因素。
研究结论：结肠癌组织中S100A4蛋白的表达可作为肿瘤进展与淋巴结转移的潜在标志物，同时可用于预测结肠癌患者的总生存期。在结肠癌患者中，该蛋白表达可作为不良预后的评估指标。