TY - JOUR
T1 - Isolated tumor cells and circulating CK20 mRNA in pN0 colorectal cancer patients
AU - Wong, Sze Chuen Cesar
AU - Cheung, Mong Tong
AU - Ma, Brigette Buig Yue
AU - Pun Hui, Edwin
AU - Chan, Alex Chak Lam
AU - Chan, Chi Kin
AU - Lee, King Chung
AU - Cheuk, Wah
AU - Lam, Money Yan Yee
AU - Wong, Manson Chi Keung
AU - Chan, Charles Ming Lok
AU - Chan, John Kwok Cheung
AU - Chan, Anthony Tak Cheung
PY - 2008/4/1
Y1 - 2008/4/1
N2 - Micrometastases in lymph nodes and blood may provide important prognostic information. In this study, cytokeratin 20 (CK20) positive cells in lymph nodes and circulating CK20 mRNA were studied using 57 paraffin-embedded lymph node specimens and blood from 24 patients with pN0 colorectal cancer (CRC), respectively. Results showed that 29 out of 56 (52%) lymph node specimens had CK20-positive cells (range: 1-35). Follow-up of the patients for 12 months indicated that 4 patients (7%) had CRC metastases to liver, lung, and bone. In addition, 8 out of 24 (33%) samples had at least 2-fold circulating CK20 mRNA expression higher than the pooled normal sample. This study provides evidence that CK20-positive cells were found in the lymph nodes and differentially expressed circulating CK20 mRNA was also detected in the blood from patients with pN0 CRC. Long-term follow-up is necessary to study their prognostic use in patients with non-metastatic CRC.
AB - Micrometastases in lymph nodes and blood may provide important prognostic information. In this study, cytokeratin 20 (CK20) positive cells in lymph nodes and circulating CK20 mRNA were studied using 57 paraffin-embedded lymph node specimens and blood from 24 patients with pN0 colorectal cancer (CRC), respectively. Results showed that 29 out of 56 (52%) lymph node specimens had CK20-positive cells (range: 1-35). Follow-up of the patients for 12 months indicated that 4 patients (7%) had CRC metastases to liver, lung, and bone. In addition, 8 out of 24 (33%) samples had at least 2-fold circulating CK20 mRNA expression higher than the pooled normal sample. This study provides evidence that CK20-positive cells were found in the lymph nodes and differentially expressed circulating CK20 mRNA was also detected in the blood from patients with pN0 CRC. Long-term follow-up is necessary to study their prognostic use in patients with non-metastatic CRC.
KW - CK20
KW - CK20 mRNA
KW - Colorectal cancer patients
KW - Lymph nodes
KW - pN0
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=42249095770&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1066896907311901
DO - 10.1177/1066896907311901
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 18387990
SN - 1066-8969
VL - 16
SP - 119
EP - 126
JO - International Journal of Surgical Pathology
JF - International Journal of Surgical Pathology
IS - 2
ER -
