Syncytin immunoreactivity in colorectal cancer: potential prognostic impact

TY - JOUR

T1 - Syncytin immunoreactivity in colorectal cancer

T2 - potential prognostic impact

AU - Larsen, Julie Mou

AU - Christensen, Ib Jarle

AU - Nielsen, Hans Jørgen

AU - Hansen, Ulla

AU - Bjerregaard, Bolette

AU - Talts, Jan Fredrik

AU - Larsson, Lars-Inge

N1 - Keywords: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Colonic Neoplasms; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Gene Products, env; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pregnancy Proteins; Prognosis; Rectal Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies; Retroviridae; Tumor Markers, Biological

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - The endogenous retroviral envelope protein syncytin is involved in cell fusions and has also been associated with immunomodulatory functions. Syncytin is currently known to be expressed in the placenta, testis and brain as well as in breast and endometrial carcinomas. Using a newly developed monoclonal syncytin antibody we have assessed syncytin expression in a retrospective series of 140 colorectal cancer patients. Variable degrees of syncytin expression were detected in both colonic and rectal tumors and the prognostic impact of such expression was analysed with the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazard model. Interestingly, increased syncytin expression was associated with decreased overall survival in rectal but not in colonic cancer patients. Thus, the prognostic impact of syncytin expression appears to vary with the tumor type.

AB - The endogenous retroviral envelope protein syncytin is involved in cell fusions and has also been associated with immunomodulatory functions. Syncytin is currently known to be expressed in the placenta, testis and brain as well as in breast and endometrial carcinomas. Using a newly developed monoclonal syncytin antibody we have assessed syncytin expression in a retrospective series of 140 colorectal cancer patients. Variable degrees of syncytin expression were detected in both colonic and rectal tumors and the prognostic impact of such expression was analysed with the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazard model. Interestingly, increased syncytin expression was associated with decreased overall survival in rectal but not in colonic cancer patients. Thus, the prognostic impact of syncytin expression appears to vary with the tumor type.

U2 - 10.1016/j.canlet.2009.02.008

DO - 10.1016/j.canlet.2009.02.008

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19327884

SN - 0304-3835

VL - 280

SP - 44

EP - 49

JO - Cancer Letters

JF - Cancer Letters

IS - 1

ER -