Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (NCAM) and Deleted in Colorectal Carcinomas (DCC) Tumor Suppressor Gene

Yoshihiko Hiramoto, Akira Gouchi, Masafumi Kataoka, Takahiro Okabayashi, Takatoshi Yamada, Hiroshi Shimamura, Akihiko Kaihara, Yukinobu Maruo, Masaichi Kenmotsu, Kunzo Orita

First Department of Surgery, Okayama University Medical School

We examined neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), which is concerned with the neural invasion of rectal cancers, by an immunohistochemical staining method in clinicopathology and estimated the route of recurrence. The DCC gene, a tumor suppressor gene, showed high homoiogy with NCAM. We examined the relationship between the DCC gene and NCAM by the RT-PCR method and investigated the rate of DCC mutation in various locations of colorectal cancer. NCAM expression was not related to histological stage, and was found in 40% of colorectal cancers and 61%, of moderately differentiated rectal cancers. We could not elucidate the relationship between DCC gene mutation and the location of colorectal cancers due to the limited number of cases of colorectal cancer, but DCC gene mutation occurred more often on the right side of the colon than the left. DCC gene mutation was significantly related to lumph node metastasis but not to NCAM expression. Cases of negative NCAM expression and decreased DCC tended to show liver metastasis.

Key words
neural cell adhesion molecule, deleted in colorectal carcinoma, local recurrence, distant metastasis in colorectal cance

Reprint requests
Yoshihiko Hiramoto First Department of Surgery, Okayama University Medical School
2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama, 700 JAPAN

Accepted
July 6, 1994

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