Stromal Expression of MicroRNA-21 in Advanced Colorectal Cancer Patients with Distant Metastases

• Published in: Journal of pathology and translational medicine Vol. 50; no. 4; pp. 270 - 277
• Main Authors: Lee, Kyu Sang, Nam, Soo Kyung, Koh, Jiwon, Kim, Duck-Woo, Kang, Sung-Bum, Choe, Gheeyoung, Kim, Woo Ho, Lee, Hye Seung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Pathologists, Korean Society for Cytopathology 01.07.2016; The Korean Society of Pathologists and the Korean Society for Cytopathology; Korean Society of Pathologists & the Korean Society for Cytopathology; 대한병리학회
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Chemotherapy; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal neoplasms; Fibroblasts; Genetic heterogeneity; Hospitals; Hybridization; Laboratories; Medical prognosis; Medical records; Metastasis; MicroRNA-21; MicroRNAs; Mutation; Neoplasm metastasis; Original; Patients; Studies; Tumors; 병리학; Colorectal neoplasms; MicroRNA-21; Neoplasm metastasis; Genetic heterogeneity
• ISSN: 2383-7837; 2383-7845
• DOI: 10.4132/jptm.2016.03.19

The aim of this study was to determine the regional heterogeneity and clinicopathological significance of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with distant metastasis. miR-21 expression was investigated by using locked nucleic acid- fluorescence in situ hybridization in the center and periphery of the primary cancer and in distant metastasis from 170 patients with advanced CRC. In addition, α-smooth muscle actin and desmin were evaluated to identify cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) by using immunohistochemistry. The miR-21 signal was observed in the cancer stroma. The expression of miR-21 (a score of 1-4) in the center and periphery of the primary cancer and in distant metastasis was observed in specimens from 133 (78.2%), 105 (61.8%), and 91 (53.5%) patients, respectively. miR-21 expression was heterogeneous in advanced CRC. Discordance between miR-21 expression in the center of the primary cancer and either the periphery of the primary cancer or distant metastasis was 31.7% or 44.7%, respectively. miR-21 stromal expression in the periphery of the primary cancer was significantly associated with a better prognosis (p=.004). miR-21 expression was significantly associated with CAFs in the center of the primary cancer (p=.001) and distant metastases (p=.041). miR-21 expression is observed in cancer stroma related to the CAF quantity and frequently presents regional heterogeneity in CRC. Our findings indicate that the role of miR-21 in predicting prognosis may be controversial but provide a new perspective of miR-21 level measurement in cancer specimens.