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Expression of Fas ligand is an early event in colorectal carcinogenesis
Author(s) -
Shimoyama Masaaki,
Kanda Tatsuo,
Liu Lili,
Koyama Yu,
Suda Takeyasu,
Sakai Yasuo,
Hatakeyama Katsuyoshi
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/1096-9098(200101)76:1<63::aid-jso1011>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - fas ligand , medicine , colorectal cancer , immunohistochemistry , pathology , colorectal adenoma , carcinogenesis , metastasis , atypia , adenoma , cancer research , cancer , oncology , apoptosis , biology , biochemistry , programmed cell death
Background and Objectives Fas ligand (FasL) is expressed in many cancers and plays an important role in establishing immunologically privileged environments that allow tumors to escape the host's immune surveillance. We investigate the expression of FasL in human colorectal cancer and colorectal adenoma and elucidate the relationship between FasL expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of colorectal cancers. Methods We examined 214 colorectal cancer specimens and 83 colorectal adenoma specimens. Expression of FasL was determined by immunohistochemical staining using a specific monoclonal antibody. We analyzed the relationship between the results of FasL expression and clinicopathological data statistically. Results FasL expression was detected in 173 (80.8%) of 214 colorectal carcinomas and 34 (40.9%) of 83 colorectal adenomas. The status of FasL expression in colorectal carcinoma was independent of clinicopathological features including tumor stage, histologic grade, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, and Dukes stage. In colorectal adenoma, FasL expression was more frequently observed in high‐grade atypia than in low‐grade atypia ( P = 0.05). Conclusions FasL expression is commonly observed not only in cancer but also in highly dysplastic tissue. These observations suggest that FasL expression may be an important event in the transformation process leading to adenocarcinoma. J. Surg. Oncol. 2001;76:63–68. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.