8 research outputs found
Strong HLA-DR expression in microsatellite stable carcinomas of the large bowel is associated with good prognosis
Progression of colorectal cancer may follow either of two main genetic routes: the chromosome- or microsatellite-instability pathways. Association between the patients' prognosis and microsatellite instability has been questioned. Improved survival has previously been found in patients with expression of HLA-DR antigens on their tumour cells. In this study, the expression of HLA-DR antigen was investigated by immunohistochemistry in 357 large bowel carcinomas stratified by microsatellite instability status. Sixteen per cent of the tumours showed strong HLA-DR expression and 35% had weak DR expression. We confirmed that patients with strong positive HLA-DR staining had improved survival (P<0.001) compared to patients with no HLA-DR expression. Strong epithelial HLA-DR staining was significantly associated with high level of microsatellite instability (P<0.001). In the subgroup of tumours with characteristics typical of the chromosomal instability phenotype, i.e. in microsatellite-stable tumours, the patients positive for the HLA-DR determinants showed better survival than those without HLA-DR expression. The protective effect of HLA-DR expression on survival was confirmed by multivariate analysis, both in the whole patient group and in the microsatellite-stable/microsatellite instability-low group. This might be explained by enhanced T-cell mediated anti-tumour immune responses against tumour cells in the HLA-DR positive tumours. The finding of better patient survival in the subgroup of strong HLA-DR positive microsatellite-stable tumours may have clinical implications for these patients
Chromosomal gains and losses in primary colorectal carcinomas detected by CGH and their associations with tumour DNA ploidy, genotypes and phenotypes
Telomere shortening correlates to dysplasia but not to DNA aneuploidy in longstanding ulcerative colitis
Correlationship between cellular DNA and AgNOR protein content in the developing course of colorectal adenocarcinoma
Kisten ras mutations in patients with colorectal cancer: the “RASCAL II” study.
This collaborative study suggests that not only is the presence of a codon 12 glycine to valine mutation important for cancer progression but also that it predispose to more aggressive biological behaviour in patients with advanced colorectal cancer