Expression of Oncofetal and Normal Fibronectin in Colorectal Cancer -Correlation with Stage, Liver Metastasis and Prognosis-

Masato Nakamura, Haruhiko Inufusa, Toshiyuki Adachi¹⁾, Katsuhisa Shindo, Masayuki Yasutomi, Hidemitsu Matsuura²⁾

¹⁾First Department of Surgery, Kinki University School of Medicine, Surgery, Torigata Hospital
²⁾Program of Molecular Medicine, Pacific Northwest Research Foundation

Immunohistological staining (ABC method) of normal fibronectin (norFN) and oncofetal fibronectin (oncFN) was performed on 99 cases of colorectal cancer and 12 with liver metastatic lesions to determine the character of expression and the relation to stage, metastasis and prognosis of the disease. The staining reaction was graded as (-), (+), (++), as the grade of expression. oncFN expression in colorectal cancer showed a secretory antigen-like pattern such as CEA. Histological stage and oncFN expression were positively related as follows: stage I, 42%; II, 38%; III, 67%; IV, 87%, V, 83%. In the cases with liver metastasis 53% of the primary lesions were oncFN positive, hence 13% positive without liver metastasis (p<0.05). In liver metastatic lesions, the oncFN expression was found in 92% of the 12 cases. In stage III and IV, the oncFN expression was positively correlated with the S-year survival rate: (-), 88%; (+), 35% and (++), 25% (p<0.01). On the other hand, there was no correlation between norNF expression and stage, liver metastasis or survival rate. These results reveal that the expression of oncFN and the biological malignant grade of the colorectal cancer are significantly correlated, and that oncFN is a useful marker for the prognosis of colorectal cancer.

Key words
immunohistological staining of colorectal cancer, oncofetal fibronectin, liver metastasis, prognostic factor

Reprint requests
Masato Namamura First Department of Surgery, Kinki University School of Medicine
377-2 Ohnohigashi, Osakasayama-city, 589 JAPAN

Accepted
December 8, 1993

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