CD9 Expression in Colorectal Carcinomas and Its Prognostic Significance

• Published in: Journal of pathology and translational medicine Vol. 50; no. 6; pp. 459 - 468
• Main Authors: Kim, Kyung-Ju, Kwon, Hee Jung, Kim, Min Chong, Bae, Young Kyung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Pathologists, Korean Society for Cytopathology 01.11.2016; The Korean Society of Pathologists and the Korean Society for Cytopathology; Korean Society of Pathologists & the Korean Society for Cytopathology; 대한병리학회
• Subjects: Cancer therapies; CD9 antigens; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal neoplasms; Gastric cancer; Growth factors; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Melanoma; Metastasis; Motility; Original; Patients; Prognosis; Proteins; Signal transduction; Skin cancer; Survival analysis; Tetraspanin; Tumors; 병리학; CD9 antigens; Prognosis; Colorectal neoplasms; Tetraspanin
• ISSN: 2383-7837; 2383-7845
• DOI: 10.4132/jptm.2016.10.02

CD9, a member of the tetraspanin superfamily, is a tumor suppressor in many malignancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of CD9 in colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) and determine clinicopathological and prognostic significance of its expression. The CD9 expression status of 305 CRCs was evaluated using a semi-quantitative scoring system in tumor cells (T-CD9) and immune cells (I-CD9) by classifying the results as high and low expression. High T-CD9 (T-CD9 [+]) expression was detected in 175 samples (57.6%) and high I-CD9 (I-CD9 [+]) expression was detected in 265 samples (86.9%). Using Kaplan- Meier survival analysis, the T-CD9 (+) group showed a tendency for better disease-free survival (DFS) (p = .057). In left-sided tumors, DFS was significantly longer in the T-CD9 (+) group (p = .021) but no statistical significance was observed with right-sided tumors (p = .453). I-CD9 (+) CRCs significantly correlated with well/moderately differentiation (p = .014). In Kaplan-Meier analysis, the I-CD9 (+) group had a tendency towards worse DFS compared to the I-CD9 (-) group (p = .156). In combined survival analysis of T-CD9 and I-CD9, we found that the longest DFS was among patients in the T-CD9 (+)/I-CD9 (-) group, whereas the T-CD9 (-)/I-CD9 (+) group showed the shortest DFS (p = .054). High expression of T-CD9 was associated with a favorable DFS, especially in left-sided CRCs. Combined evaluation of T-CD9 and I-CD9 is required to determine the comprehensive prognostic effect of CD9 in CRCs.