Journal de cytologie et d'histologie

Inflammatory and Cell Adhesion Protein Markers in Colorectal Cancer in Patients Seen at the Teaching Hospital of Guadeloupe: Role of NF kappaB and P-Selectin

Abstract

Monique Decastel, Anne-marie Andrea, Marc Lubeth, Jacqueline Deloumeaux and Juliette Smith-ravin

Background: Previous reports have been published describing the role of protein markers in the development and progression of colorectal cancers (CRC). In those investigations, Nuclear Factor kappaB (NFκB) and the Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α (HIF-1α) have emerged as markers of clinical interest. The aim of this study was to evaluate their expression in patients who underwent surgery for CRC in the Guadeloupe Teaching Hospital (GlpeTH).
Methods: Tumour tissues and the normal mucosa from 67 patients of GlpeTH were immunohistochemically evaluated using antibodies against HIF-1α and NFκBp65. Additionally; we examined the expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth factor (VEGF), Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and P-selectin, which was regulated by HIF-1α and NFκBp65, respectively.
Results: Expression of NFκBp65 and HIF-1α, mainly located in the cytoplasm of the cancer cells and P-selectin, located on endothelial cells of blood vessels, was positively observed in 74.6%, 73.1% and 23.9% among the patients, respectively. Unexpectedly, expression of VEGF and VCAM-1 was weak, 6% and 3% respectively. HIF-1α did not associate either with clinicopathological parameters or NFκBp65 expression, whereas the latter significantly did with invasion depth (p=0.017). Regarding P-selectin, its expression was not correlated with that of NFκBp65, but significantly was with TNM stage (p=0.022).
Conclusion: Expression of VEGF and VCAM-1 may depend of other tumour environmental factors. NFκB, more frequently expressed in T3-T4 stages and P-selectin less in aggressive CRCs (TNM III and IV) are more valuable protein markers than HIF-1α, to characterize CRC in GlpeTH patients.