[Expression of human pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 in colorectal cancer detected with real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and its clinical significance].

Background & Objective: Although human pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (hPTTG1) is overexpressed in malignant tumors such as colorectal cancer, its correlation to clinicopathologic parameters and its value in diagnosis and prognosis prediction of colorectal cancer are still not clear. We investigated the expression of hPTTG1 in colorectal cancer tissues, and elucidated its correlation to some clinicopathologic parameters of colorectal cancer.

Methods: The expression of hPTTG1 in 60 specimens of colorectal cancer and corresponding noncancerous tissues were examined with real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and its correlation to seven clinicopathologic parameters were analyzed.

Results: The mRNA level of hPTTG1 was significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissues than in corresponding noncancerous tissues (0.42+/-0.07 vs. 0.03+/-0.01, P<0.001), significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissues with serum CEA level of > 5 ng/mL than in those with CEA of < 5 ng/mL (22.79+/-7.42 vs. 9.34+/-2.61, P<0.001), significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissues with diameter of > or = 3.5 cm than in those with diameter of < 3.5 cm (15.80+/-8.80 vs. 10.91+/-5.22, P<0.05), significantly lower in Dukes'A, B tumors than in Dukes' C, D tumors (9.03+/-0.35 and 9.58+/-2.93 vs. 15.88+/-8.09 and 25.69+/-7.67, P<0.001), and significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissues with lymph node metastasis (17.63+/-8.47), liver metastasis (31.07+/-4.10) and other organ metastasis (22.78+/-6.39) than in those without metastasis (11.15+/-6.65) (P<0.001). hPTTG1 expression had no relationship with patients' age, sex and histological type (P>0.05).

Conclusions: hPTTG1 is overexpressed in colorectal cancer. It is closely related to the progression of colorectal cancer, and may be helpful for prognosis prediction of colorectal cancer.